


One Night Only

by LilySpears



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:39:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3437225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilySpears/pseuds/LilySpears
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just one night. A drunken one night stand. How did one night lead to a custody battle?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Notes:** This is an idea I got from a dream I had, which was inspired by late night roleplay. I'm not sure how many chapters it'll be, depends how much i can drag out the plot. As a little prewarning, it will contain mpreg.

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Eric Slingby, Grell Sutcliff, Alan Humphries and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso. I own nothing.

**Prologue:**

Morning broke over the Shinigami realm. Eric opened his eyes slowly, groaning as his head began to ache. Apparently he had a hangover. Exactly how he had got the hangover was a complete mystery to him. He remembered leaving work with…someone, going to a bar and then nothing else. Eric sighed to himself and settled back down to sleep. He figured Alan would probably tell him in detail what he had done last night as soon as he woke up. Eric closed his eyes and rolled over, wrapping his arms around the person next to him. A cold shiver raced down his spine. The person he was holding was definitely not Alan. Eric gently felt the mystery person, feeling the unfamiliar contours of their body. The person giggled,

"Eric darling, that tickles" Eric opened his eyes sharply; long red hair invaded his vision,

"S-Sutcliff?" he stammered. He hastily scrambled away, falling off the bed straight onto the floor. Grell sighed and slowly sat up in the bed, delicately holding the sheets around his bare chest with one hand,

"Honestly love, even after last night you're still calling me by my surname?" he said "Not even Will is that cold",

"L-Last night?" asked Eric, "W-What happened last night?" he knew he was going to regret the answer as soon as the question left his lips. Grell sighed again and rolled his eyes,

"Let's see, we're both naked, in a double bed, in a cheap motel" said Grell "What do you think happened darling?".

Eric's stomach sank. A sickening feeling rose in his throat. He turned and ran to the bathroom, violently bringing up whatever in hell's name he had eaten last night. Grell pouted and followed Eric, using the bed sheet as a temporary night dress,

"I take that as an insult you know" he said. Eric groaned,

"Sutcliff…Grell….shut up" he muttered. Grell pouted even more,

"Charming, and I thought last night was amazing" he giggled and looked at the ceiling dreamily, "So rough, so passionate, ahn! You're such an animal darling"

Eric gagged and almost threw up again. Grell sighed, placing one hand on his hip,

"Honestly, you don't have to be such a baby about this" he turned and walked out of the bathroom "Let's just get dressed and leave, I'm sure poor Alan is worried sick about you",

"Crap, Alan!" Eric jerked his head up, yelping when the toilet seat fell on him. He stood up and flushed, leaving the bathroom. He began to gather his clothes from where they had been scattered the night before (exactly how his boxers had ended up on the light fixture he wasn't sure, but he decided he was better off not knowing) and started to get dressed. Grell watched him as he sat on the bed,

"What's the hurry love?" he asked "It's only half eight, we don't have to check out till noon"

"I need to get back before Alan realizes I'm gone" said Eric. He pulled on his pants, groaning when he saw they were back to front. He pulled them off and hastily put them back on again. One pant leg caught underneath his foot as his stood up, he yelped as he overbalanced and crashed to the floor. Grell burst into laughter. Eric growled and ripped them off,

"What is wrong with these pants!?".

Grell continued to laugh. He stood up and walked over to Eric, helping him onto the bed. Gently, he took Eric's pants and helped him put them on,

"Calm down love, you're getting too worked up" said Grell. He picked up Eric's shirt and helped him into it, "I'm pretty sure Alan has noticed you're missing by now, otherwise he should get his eyes looked at". Eric sighed,

"Yeah, I guess your-" he paused as Grell began to put his socks on. He glared and moved his foot, "I'm not five Sutcliff, I can dress myself".

Grell pouted and dropped Eric's other sock,

"Well, after the performance with your pants I had my doubts" he muttered. He walked away from the bed and began to put his own clothes back on. Eric sighed and finished dressing,

"You know, I thought we shared something special last night, even if we were blind drunk" said Grell, still pouting "I always thought you were a kind, sweet, strong, handsome man, guess I was wrong…". Eric groaned in frustration,

"Look, if I buy you breakfast will you please stop guilt tripping me?" he said. Grell immediately stopped pouting and grinned,

"Do I get a good morning kiss too?" he asked. Eric sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose,

"Alright, but keep your hands where I can see them" he said. Reluctantly he walked over and gently kissed the redhead's lips. Grell squealed happily,

"Ahn! I love the feel of you soft lips on mine!" he said "The tingle of your facial hair on my womanly skin!" he wrapped his arms around himself and continued to swoon. Eric grimaced and scrubbed his mouth with the back of his hand,

"Are you happy now?" he said,

"Very happy" said Grell. He latched onto Eric's arm and hugged him tightly "I'm ready for our morning date, darling"

"It's not a date" said Eric, prying his arm out of Grell's grip "I'm dating Alan, and your-"

"I know I know, dating Will" said Grell, finishing Eric's sentence "Just because I'm tied down doesn't mean I can't look at what's available" he grinned and once again attached himself to Eric's arm. Eric sighed and once again removed him,

"Grell, I'm flattered that you find me attractive, but I see you only as a friend, nothing more" he said. He smirked and headed towards the door "Besides, high maintenance isn't my type",

"High maintenance?" screeched Grell, running after him "I'm not high maintenance you cheeky git!". Eric laughed loudly,

"Calm down princess" he said "You may not be my type, but I like you just the way you are". Grell slowed down, his expression softened,

"Really?" he asked,

"Really really" replied Eric. Grell sighed happily and rested his head on Eric's shoulder,

"Thank you darling, that means a lot" he said. He sighed again and gently stroked Eric's chest with his fingers, "Last night really was special" he said "It's a shame it wouldn't work between us". Eric stopped dead in his tracks,

"Let me make one thing clear" he said "As far as I'm concerned, last night never happened".


	2. Grell's Confession

**Author's Notes:** First chapter which is technically the second chapter. I apologize for the dialogue overload. Oh well, enjoy.

* * *

 

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Eric Slingby, Alan Humphries, Grell Sutcliff and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso. I own nothing.

**Chapter 1:**

"Alright Mr Slingby, take some deep breaths for me" Eric shivered slightly as the doctor pressed his stethoscope to the bare skin of his back. He straightened up and began to breathe deeply in and out. The doctor listened carefully, moving his stethoscope around. He took the ear buds out and stood up,

"Alright, thank you Mr Slingby, you may put your shirt back on now" said the doctor. He hung his stethoscope around his neck and picked up Eric's medical notes. Eric hopped down from the examination table and grabbed his shirt from the chair he had draped it over. The yearly health check was, in Eric's opinion, a useless venture. Shinigami were naturally less susceptible to the health issues ordinary humans were. Even with the rare exceptions to this rule, a Shinigami succumbing to illness was unheard of. Eric highly considered skipping the health check every time the yearly reminder appeared in his in-tray. Unfortunately, health checks were compulsory for all dispatch officers, and if he didn't have it done, he'd be demoted to office work. Eric sighed as he fastened the rest of his shirt buttons. He picked up his tie and draped it around his neck,

"Anything to tell me?" he asked,

"The same thing I tell you every year" replied the doctor "Your health is satisfactory as far as I'm concerned, but try and kick the forty a day habit". Eric smirked as he put on his jacket,

"Duly noted" he said. The doctor sighed and closed Eric's notes,

"You're free to go Mr Slingby" he said "Tell Mr Sutcliff he's next on my list".

* * *

Grell groaned and tried to push his head further out of his office window, desperately trying to cool down. He couldn't figure out why he was suddenly so hot and sweaty. He had wrenched open both windows in his office, despite the freezing winter temperatures and falling snow. He'd even pulled out the old clunky fan he used in summer and set it to full power, and still it felt like he was suffocating in heat. Grell groaned again, feeling sweat trickle down the back of his neck. His stomach churned, the heat wasn't helping his nausea at all. Grell pressed an arm to his tummy, hoping he wasn't going to vomit out of the window,

"Sutcliff! What the hell are you doing?",

Grell reluctantly pulled his head back into his office, his hair now covered in snowflakes. He turned to his office door, William was stood in the doorway, holding a stack of papers and shivering from the coldness. Grell swallowed and looked down at the floor,

"I was hot…" he mumbled. William walked over to the desk and shut off the fan. He then closed both windows. Grell pouted and immediately tried to open them again. William grabbed his hands and glared at him,

"Leave the windows alone" he said "Are you trying to freeze yourself to death?"

"But I'm so hot!" whined Grell. His stomach churned again. Grell groaned and tried to cover his mouth. William neatly dodged out of the way as Grell threw up noisily on the floor. He raised his eyebrows, almost looking concerned,

"Grell, if you're this sick, why did you come into work?" he asked,

"It's just a phase; it'll pass" said Grell "It always does"

"Always does?" repeated William "Grell, how long has this being going on for?" Grell thought for a few moments,

"For the last month or so" he said. William sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He gently took Grell's hand and led him out of the office. Grell tilted his head in confusion,

"Where are we going?" he asked,

"I'm taking you to the doctor's office" said William "You need to get this mystery sickness under control; I can't afford to be an officer down". Grell pouted childishly,

"Yes of course" he muttered, rolling his eyes "Got to keep the numbers up". William smiled and turned to look at Grell, giving him a very rare 'blink and you'll miss it' smile,

"Obviously I'm concerned about you as well" he said "I thought that would be a given by now". Grell smiled back, his cheeks slightly pink,

"It is, I just like hearing you say it" he said. William smiled again and continued to lead Grell through the hallways. He reached the doctor's office and knocked lightly upon the heavy door,

"I can't stay with you, I have a meeting I have to attend" he said. He gently kissed Grell on the cheek and pushed him through the door, "Good luck".

* * *

Eric looked around Grell's office curiously. He was sure he'd seen Grell in there earlier. He knew the red head wasn't down for dispatch this week, as he had too many outstanding reports to complete,

"Sutcliff?" said Eric, his voice echoing in the empty room. He looked around again, half expecting Grell to jump out of the file cabinet,

"William took him to the doctor's office",

Eric jumped and grabbed hold of the door frame. He turned his head; Alan was stood behind him, smirking. Eric let go of the frame and pushed up his glasses,

"Stop sneaking up on me" he said. Alan smirked more,

"Sorry, you just look so darn adorable when you get startled" he said. He walked over to Eric and gently kissed his lips,

"Did your health check go okay?" he asked. Eric nodded, wrapping his arms around Alan and hugging him,

"Yeah, same as usual" he said, nuzzling the younger reaper's hair "Satisfactory health, but I need to stop the cigarettes"

"You should listen to him" said Alan, tapping Eric on the nose "The sooner you give up those damm things the better",

"Don't you start" said Eric, batting Alan's hand away "The day I quit smoking will be the day Ronald stops obsessing over boobs". Alan sighed and rolled his eyes,

"Must you be so vulgar all the time?" he asked. Eric smirked and nodded. Alan just shook his head,

"You're impossible sometimes" he said. He reached up and kissed Eric's nose "I'm going on my lunch break, don't forget you have that stack of paperwork to do" he turned and walked away down the hallway. Eric grimaced,

"I was trying to forget!" he called. His only reply was the sound of Alan laughing as he walked away. Eric sighed and walked into his office. He glared at the formidable pile of paperwork perched on the edge of his desk. Fighting the urge to dunk it all in the water cooler, he sat down and began to write,

"Eric?"

Eric looked up; Grell was stood in the doorway. He was nibbling his lip and appeared to be shaking slightly. Eric frowned,

"Come in Grell" he said "What's the matter?". Grell walked into the office slowly. He looked at Alan's desk nervously,

"When's Alan back from his lunch break?" he asked,

"He's only just left, so at least half an hour" replied Eric "Probably longer because he eats so damm slow, why?". Grell carefully closed the office door and locked it. Eric frowned deeply,

"Why did you lock the door?" he asked "Grell, what's wrong?" Grell sighed and walked over to Eric's desk. He perched carefully on the edge,

"Eric, I….I'm…." he turned away "Eric, I'm pregnant". Eric turned to Grell sharply, scratching a long black line on the form he was filling in,

"What?" he shouted "B-But…how?"

"I don't know how it happened, not even the doctor knew that" said Grell "But regardless of how it happened, I'm having a baby". Eric carefully placed his pen on the desk. He pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his fingers through his hair,

"Is it mine?" he asked quietly. Grell sighed and once again looked away,

"I don't know" he said "It's either yours or Will's",

"We have to find out for sure" said Eric "We need to take a paternity test"

"No" said Grell, sharply "No we don't",

"Why not?" asked Eric, frowning,

"It'll just complicate everything" said Grell "He's gonna be mad enough when I tell him I'm pregnant, what do you think will happen if I tell him the baby not might be his?". Eric glared at him and stood up

"You're taking the damm test Sutcliff" he shouted "If I've fathered a kid, I want to know". Grell growled, baring his shark like teeth. Suddenly his chainsaw was in his hand, pressed again Eric's chest. The older reaper gulped and sat down. Grell continued to glare,

"If I recall, Slingby, you claimed nothing happened that night" he hissed "Therefore the baby couldn't possibly be yours, could it?". Eric gulped again, trying to lean away from Grell's chainsaw. Grell lowered the scythe and dismissed it. He turned on his heel and walked to the door, unlocking it,

"I'm leaving, the baby and I need rest" he said "I'm telling Will I'm pregnant when he gets home, and I'm telling him it's his, that way no one gets hurt".


	3. Telling William

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 2 is up. In which William goes berserk. I feel mean for making him go berserk at Grell. I will try and fix it. I realize this chapter makes it painfully obvious I'm fighting the temptation to pair Eric and Grell.

* * *

**One Night Only**

****Disclaimer:** ** Grell Sutcliff, William T Spears, Eric Slingby and Alan Humphries belong to Yana Toboso. I own nothing.

**Chapter 2:**

Grell sighed as he rolled over in his bed. He'd left work over two hours ago, under doctor's orders to rest. He'd followed them to the letter, changing into a pair of William's pyjamas and getting into bed as soon as he'd walked through his front door. But, no matter how he tried, he could not fall asleep. Grell felt as though his mind was stuck on auto pilot. Thoughts were whizzing through his head like TV channels and he just couldn't find the off switch. Grell rolled over again, now facing William's side of the bed. He reached out and gently stroked the pristine sheets. He knew why he couldn't sleep. Soon, William would arrive home, and Grell would have to tell him about the baby. He had no idea how the stoic man would react and it scared him. Grell shuddered, he raised his hand and pressed the over long sleeves of the pyjamas to his nose. The soft fabric felt soothing against his skin. The light scent of William's cologne relaxed him; it almost felt like the man himself was next to him. Grell smiled, his eyes began to close,

"Grell?"

Grell's eyes shot open at the sound of William's voice. He sat up and looked at the clock on his bed side table. He was almost an hour early from work. Grell frowned, the bedroom door swung open. William ran into the bedroom. He was panting heavily; his hair was fluffed up, like he had been running. He was still dressed in his thick winter coat and snow boots. Grell frowned more,

"Is something wrong love?" he asked. William walked over and sat down on the bed,

"I went back to the doctor's office to find you and he said he'd sent you home, so I ran all the way here" he said. He noticed Grell was tucked up in the bed covers "Did I wake you up?",

"No, I haven't fallen asleep yet" replied Grell "I've been trying since I came home, but I guess I'm not tired" he pushed back the bedcovers and stood up, one hand clutching the waist band of his pyjama bottoms to stop them falling down. He walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. William followed him,

"What did the doctor say?" he asked "Why did he send you home?". Grell bit his lip nervously,

"I'll discuss it all with you later" he said, filling the kettle and placing it on the stove to heat. He turned to his lover "Go and take a shower and change"

"I can shower later" said William "Tell me what the doctor said". Grell sighed. He walked over and took William's hand,

"Fine, if you insist" he said. He took William into the lounge and made him sit on the couch. Grell sat down on the chair opposite. He nibbled his lip and played nervously with the hem of his pyjama top. William frowned in concern,

"Grell, what's the matter?" he asked,

"When I saw the doctor today, he said…" Grell turned away from William. He took a deep breath,

"Will, he told me I was pregnant".

Silence fell upon the two reapers. William stared ahead at the wall, an unreadable expression on his face. Grell looked at him; carefully he reached out and placed his hand on the older reaper's shoulder. William glared and shrugged him off. He stood and stormed towards the kitchen. Grell quickly ran after him, almost tripping over his pyjama bottoms,

"Will!" he cried "What's the-"

"Do I look like an idiot to you Sutcliff?" shouted William "Honestly, do you take me for a fool?". Grell's eyes widened in shock, he backed away slightly,

"Darling, you know that's not true" he said. William glared at Grell, his hands clenched into fists,

"I have put up with so much shit from you!" he snarled "Your lacklustre work ethic, your complete disregard for rules, your frankly hideous sense of style, but claiming you're pregnant? Do you think I was born yesterday?". Grell growled, baring his sharp teeth,

"What the hell is your problem?" he screeched "How dare you insult me and accuse me of lying!" he picked up a nearby mug and threw it at William. It smashed against his forehead, creating a gash. Grell continued to glare at William,

"You can shout and scream all you want" he said "The fact is, I'm pregnant with your baby!"

"Shut up!" William snarled again and punched Grell in the face. Grell cried out in pain and fell against the kitchen wall. A thin line of blood leaked from his nose, his cheek was beginning to bruise. Grell whimpered in pain, he gasped as William loomed above him,

"William, please" said Grell "Will, the baby!" William's death scythe appeared suddenly, the pincer end clamped tightly over Grell's neck. The red head began to choke; he tugged at the cold metal. William glared at pushed down on his scythe,

"You are not pregnant" he hissed "You will never be pregnant, and if you so much as utter one more word about this nonsense I will not hesitate to throw you into Hell where you belong, am I clear?". Grell whimpered and nodded weakly. William sneered at him and removed the scythe,

"Get out" he said. Grell whimpered again,

"B-But Will…"

"I said get out!" Grell burst into tears and ran out of the kitchen. The front door opened and slammed closed, a cold breeze blew into the kitchen. William sighed and fell back heavily onto the kitchen tiles, his head in his hands,

"What have I done?"

* * *

Eric sipped his beer slowly as he reclined on his couch, enjoying the heat from the fire. Alan was lying next to him, cuddled up on his chest and reading a book out loud. Eric was no longer paying attention to the story; he was content to simply listen to the soothing tone of Alan's voice as he read. He smiled, wrapping his free arm around Alan tightly. Gently, he nuzzled the younger reaper's hair. Alan blinked and looked up from his book,

"Are you smelling my hair?" he asked. Eric smirked and continued to nuzzle him,

"Maybe" he put down his beer glass and began to kiss along Alan's neck gently. Alan giggled, squirming slightly,

"Eric! Stop!" he said "That t-tickles!". Eric continued to kiss Alan's neck softly. He kissed along his jaw line, he grabbed Alan's chin and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. Alan's cheeks turned red, he turned to face Eric and wrapped his arms around his neck. He kissed him deeply and ran his fingers through the blond curls at the nape of Eric's neck. Eric shivered at the feel of Alan's slender fingers; he placed his hand at the base of Alan's back and pulled him closer. He began to move his hand lower. A loud knock startled the pair of lovers. Alan sighed and stood up to answer the door. Eric whimpered slightly, trying to pull Alan back,

"Stop it Eric" said Alan, walking away "I have to answer the door". He disappeared into the kitchen. Eric pouted and reluctantly followed,

"If it's Ronald again I swear I will kill him this time" he muttered. Alan hit him on the shoulder gently,

"Be nice" he said. He grabbed the key from the hook and unlocked the door,

"H-Help….me…."

Grell was stood on the doorstep, ankle deep in snow. He was shivering violently; the thin silk pyjamas he was dressed in were soaked through. Make up and blood were running down his face as tears poured from his eyes,

"W-Will kicked me out…" he whimpered. He began to sway unsteadily; Eric took his arm and quickly pulled him inside the house. Grell fell against him; he wrapped his arms around the older reaper and began to cry. Eric carefully picked him up and carried him into the lounge. He placed him on the couch by the fire to warm up; Alan grabbed the blanket from the other chair and wrapped it around Grell's shoulders. Grell huddled into it, almost trying to hide. Alan sighed and went upstairs to prepare a bath and dry clothes for him. Eric sat next to Grell and hugged him

"What happened?" he asked, softly,

"I t-told Will about the baby" said Grell, quietly "He went crazy….h-he tried to kill me…" he buried his head on Eric's shoulder and started crying again. Eric held him tightly and stroked his hair,

"It's alright Grell, you're safe now" he said "I promise I won't let him hurt either of you". Grell didn't respond, he had fallen asleep against Eric's shoulder. Eric smiled and gently moved Grell so he was lying on the couch. Gently, he tucked the blanket around him, making sure he was snug. Grell mumbled and rolled over, the blanket slipped to the floor. His pyjama top was pushed up slightly, exposing Grell's stomach. Eric looked at it curiously, softly; he placed his hand upon the cool skin,

"Stay strong, little one" he said "Daddy's looking out for you".


	4. Alan's Conflict

**Author's Notes:**

Ch.3, the one with the angst. I finally right something that isn't dialogue heavy and I fill it with angst, dang it.

So yes, this chapter is from Alan's point of view. It's a muddled chapter to show Alan's conflicting feelings about Eric and Grell. At least, it would be if I had been smart enough to plan it this way. It's muddled because my brain fired ideas at me and I just wrote them down.

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Chapter 3:**

Alan yawned as he shuffled around his kitchen, grabbing various items to prepare breakfast. He felt exhausted this morning; he'd not been able to sleep at all the night before. Alan knew why, of course. After Grell had turned up on their doorstep Eric had insisted on staying with him to make sure he was alright. At the time Alan had thought nothing of it. He thought Eric was going to wait until Grell fell asleep then return to the bedroom. However, Eric never entered the bedroom last night. Alan knew this, because he had waited until past midnight to turn off his bedside lamp. He'd then lain awake for hours staring at the door, waiting for it to open. He'd tried to sleep, but no matter which position he turned to, he just couldn't get comfortable without Eric to snuggle up to. It wasn't until last night that Alan realized just how much he depended on Eric. Perhaps even more than Eric depended on him. Alan pouted as he poured flour into a mixing bowl. He knew Eric had been able to sleep last night without him there. On his way to the kitchen he'd peeked into the spare room briefly. Grell was curled up on the spare bed, cocooned in blankets. Eric was lying face down on the sofa, fast asleep and snoring like an English sheepdog. Alan had smiled at this. He often thought Eric was like an overgrown puppy. He was fiercely loyal, very cuddly, and he inevitably ended up humping his leg (among other things). Alan chuckled and cracked a couple of eggs into his bowl of flour. He shouldn't worry about Eric. After all, he knew Eric belonged to him,

"Morning Al"

Alan smiled as Eric wrapped his arms around him. He giggled as the older reaper nuzzled his hair softly. He placed his bowl of batter on the counter and turned around, hugging him tightly,

"Good morning Eric" he said, cuddling Eric's chest "I'm making pancakes for breakfast". Eric grinned and kissed Alan's forehead,

"You know me so well" he said. Alan tilted his head and captured Eric's lips in a soft kiss,

"Anything for you" he whispered. Eric closed his eyes and kissed Alan deeply, running his hands into his hair. Alan moaned softly and pressed himself closer. Eric gently trailed one hand down Alan's back and softly squeezed his buttock. Alan squeaked in surprise,

"E-Eric!" he stammered, blushing. Eric smirked mischievously and squeezed again. Alan squealed and jumped slightly, his hand landing straight in the batter bowl. He lifted it out and sighed,

"Now look what you did" he said. Eric gently took Alan's hand

"Here, let me clean that up" he said. He raised Alan's hand to his mouth and softly licked the batter from the younger reaper's fingers. Alan giggled, wriggling his fingers around,

"E-Eric…s-stop…Eric…Eric!" he pulled his hand away sharply "That's enough". Eric pouted,

"What's the matter?" he asked,

"The batter has raw eggs in it" said Alan, as he washed his hands in the sink "You'll get food poisoning". Eric continued to pout,

"Meanie" he said. Alan ignored him and dried his hands on a nearby dish towel. He picked up the batter and began to pour it into the hot frying pan. Eric smiled and walked up behind him, placing his hands over Alan's. Alan smiled and snuggled him, kissing lightly under his chin,

"Is breakfast ready, love?"

Alan stumbled forward as Eric let go of him sharply. He heard the patter of Eric's feet as he walked over to Grell, no doubt fussing over him. Alan grumbled quietly to himself and jabbed the pancakes forcefully with a spatula. He could hear Eric talking to the other reaper, his voice soft and soothing. Alan fought the urge to growl out loud, choosing instead to glare at the stove. He silently cooked the rest of the batter, trying to ignore the way Eric seemed to be fawning over Grell,

"He used to fawn over me…" he thought. Alan frowned and shook his head. He shouldn't think like that. Eric loved him, of course he did. Besides, Grell probably needed some attention right now; Eric was just helping his friend in his time of need. Alan sighed and served up the pancakes. He took a deep breath and forced himself to smile politely. He picked up two of the plates and turned around,

"I hope you're hungry, I made pan…cakes…." Alan trailed off as he saw Grell's appearance. The red head looked unusually unkempt, his hair was tangled and his eyes were puffy. That didn't bother Alan; he knew Grell wouldn't have slept much last night. Grell's right cheek, the one William had struck, was almost completely covered in a purple bruise. This didn't bother Alan either; he knew Grell would have a bruise there. What bothered Alan was what the red head was wearing. He was wearing one of Eric's old t-shirts; the garment was so big on Grell it reached past his knees. Alan had to grip the plates tightly in his hands to stop them crashing to the floor. Grell was wearing Eric's old Batman t-shirt. The same Batman t-shirt Eric had given to Alan when they first started living together. The one Alan had slept in every night since then.

"Alan, darling, is something wrong?"

Alan looked at Grell and Eric. Both reapers were looking at him, a mix of confusion and concern on their faces. Alan felt his hands start shaking; he fixed his gaze on Grell, desperately trying to quell his anger,

"T-That shirt…" he said "Where did you get it?"

"E-Eric gave it to me last night; to wear to bed" said Grell, quietly "He said it was just an old shirt he had". Alan slammed the plates onto the table; he gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to throw the plates at the wall. He clenched his fists tightly; he could feel his face heating up.

"Are you okay Al?"

Alan lifted his head hastily, giving Eric a very fake smile,

"Fine, fine, I'm absolutely fine" he said, talking through his bared teeth. He ignored his plate of pancakes and began to walk out of the kitchen,

"Don't you want your breakfast Al?" asked Eric, frowning in concern. Alan turned to face him; his gaze didn't meet Eric's eyes,

"Suddenly I don't feel hungry, so I'm just gonna head straight to the shower" he said "And my name is Alan, not Al" he turned on his heel and ran upstairs before Eric could give a response. He headed straight to the bathroom, running inside and locking the door afterwards. Alan sighed and leant against the cold wood. He slowly slid down into a sitting position, his head buried in his knees. Hot tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Alan growled and punched the door loudly. He wasn't going to let himself cry. He was stronger than that. Wiping away the tears that had already fallen, Alan stood up and stripped out of his pyjamas. He stepped into the shower and turned it to full, closing his eyes as the hot water ran down his body. Tears once more slipped down his cheeks, but this time Alan didn't try to stop them. He let out an anguished cry; a single sentence escaped his lips,

"I was born alone in this world, and alone I shall die, if this is my fate, why are tears falling from my eyes?".

* * *

**Additional Notes:**

For the record, the reason I specifically made the old t-shirt a Batman t-shirt is to give it more sentimental value to Alan. In the little back story myself and my rp buddy made, when Alan was a little boy his favorite toy was his Batman action figure, so when he saw the t-shirt he fell in love with it. That, and we all know Eric would totally have a Superhero shirt.

Oh, and please don't hate Eric and Grell. They aren't intentionally trying to hurt Alan. Grell is emotionally unstable (more so than usual) and is seeking any comfort he can, and Eric feels guilty about possibly fathering Grell's child and just wants to do the right thing (Alan obviously doesn't know this which is why the poor boy is confused)


	5. This Is Real

I'm so sorry this is so late, my motivation took a vacation. This is kinda a filler chapter, next one should be more interesting, I'm introducing a new couple~

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Alan Humphries, Eric Slingby, Grell Sutcliff, Ronald Knox and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso. I own the bean.

**Chapter 4:** This is Real

An awkward atmosphere surrounded the dispatch offices that morning. Alan disappeared as soon as he stepped into the building, running into his office and locking the door tightly. Grell watched him go; he twisted the ends of his sleeves nervously,

"I've upset Allie, haven't I?" he said, quietly "I didn't mean to cause trouble, I just went to the first house I thought of" he looked down at his boots. Eric puts his arm around him, hugging him tightly,

"It's not your fault Grell" he said firmly, "Don't worry about Alan; he's too polite to hold a grudge". Grell smiled, giggling slightly,

"That's true, he's such a sweetheart like that" he said. He dropped his sleeves and looked up at Eric "Can I ask you a favour?",

"Sure, ask me anything" said Eric. Grell looked down at his boots again. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath,

"I have my first scan this afternoon" he said "Will you come with me so I'm not alone?". Eric blinked, staring at Grell in surprise. Grell looked up at Eric, chewing on his lip nervously. Eric smiled,

"Of course I will" he said "But wouldn't you rather have William?". Grell snorted,

"What? And have him hit me again? Or worse?" he said. He placed a hand on his stomach, rubbing it softly "He can hit me all he likes, but he'll never hurt my child". Eric moved closer to Grell, pulling the smaller Shinigami against his chest. He placed his hand on Grell's gently,

"Our child" he said, smiling. Grell sighed angrily and pulled away from Eric. He glared at the older man,

"Eric we've been through this, it's Will's baby, that's the way it has to be" he turned on his heel and started to walk away "My appointment is at four, I'll be waiting in my office" he disappeared down the hallway. Eric sighed sadly, raising one hand to scratch at his braids. He knew it was supposed to be William's baby, he'd willingly gone along with the story, but something in his gut made him question it. Eric sighed again and turned to go to his own office, jumping when he walked straight into William. The taller reaper glared down at him, pushing up his glasses with one hand,

"You should know better than to encourage Sutcliff's silly fantasies, Slingby" he said,

"Oh? Because punching him in the face works so much better as a deterrent?" snapped Eric, glaring back at William. The taller reaper bristled, tensing slightly. He'd regretted hitting Grell as soon as it had happened and he was still feeling the shame of doing it,

"I'm not proud of what I did to Sutcliff, but I fear he may not have given you the full story" said William. He raised one hand to touch the gash above his eyebrow "He struck me first"

"That's not much of an excuse" said Eric, folding his arms "What if Grell was telling the truth and he'd miscarried the baby after you hit him, what then?"

"I would have to assume I was suffering temporary insanity" snapped William "Honestly, it's bad enough that Sutcliff insists on carrying on this charade without him dragging everyone else along with it"

"Well, so what if he's making it all up?" argued Eric "Did it not occur to you that maybe Grell wants a little kind attention for once?". William rolled his eyes in annoyance and turned to walk away,

"I have neither the time nor the patience to argue with you Slingby" he snapped. He walked towards his office and paused. He looked over his shoulder, his glasses flashing brightly in the bright office light,

"Your 'To Die' list is in your office" he said "And you will be having overtime tonight". William walked into his office and curtly shut the door. Eric growled and stomped away to his office, knocking several pictures off the wall as he went. The other workers looked up briefly, hurriedly returning to their papers when Eric glared at them. He walked to his office and went inside, slamming the door loudly. He looked at his desk; his rather scruffy looking ledger was twice as thick as it usually was. Eric groaned and picked it up. He began leafing through it; several loose pages and old receipts fluttered to the carpet,

"Whoa, what did you do to make Boss Senpai so pissed off?"

Eric groaned again as Ronald walked into his office. The younger reaper stood behind him, peering over his shoulder at the ridiculously thick ledger,

"Seriously Eric Senpai, did you insult his mother or something?" said Ronald. Eric groaned, running a hand through his hair,

"Did you want something or did you just come here to annoy me?" he snapped. Ronald's expression sunk, he took a couple of steps back, hurt evident on his face,

"Alright, alright, I'm going" he said "I just wanted to say hi, you didn't need to yell at me" he turned on his heel and left the office. Eric lifted his head, listening as Ronald crossed the office and knocked on another door. He sighed and picked up his ledger, tucking it snugly under his arm. Eric knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

* * *

Grell signed the last form on his desk, placing it on top of the finished stack. He looked up at his clock; the time said four 'o' clock exactly. Grell smiled and stood up, pulling his coat from his chair and draping it on his shoulders. He perched carefully on the edge of his desk, watching the door carefully. Fifteen minutes ticked by slowly. Grell looked up at his clock, whimpering quietly as the hand moved further round. He sighed and looked at the door again. When it still failed to open, Grell finally conceded defeat. He stood up and sadly left his office, walking up the hallway and turning into the medical wing. The doctor looked up from his file cabinet as he heard Grell's heels click on the tiled floor,

"Ah, Mister Sutcliff, I thought you had forgotten" he said. He frowned when he saw Grell stood by himself "Will you be alright by yourself?". Grell sighed,

"I asked someone to come with me" he said "But he stood me up". The doctor raised his eyebrow at Grell's choice of words, but decided against commenting. He took Grell to a private room with an examination table,

"Here Mr Sutcliff, lay down and bear your abdomen" he instructed "I'll be back with the ultrasound machine" The doctor left the room and closed the door. Grell took off his coat and threw it on a nearby chair. He began to undo the bottom buttons on his shirt, someone knocked lightly on the door. Grell looked up in confusion,

"Come in?" he said, a little unsure,

"Forgive the intrusion Sutcliff" William walked into the room, readjusting his glasses with one hand. Grell frowned,

"What are you doing here?" he asked "Trying to prove you're right, so you can rub it in my face?"

"I merely want to get this whole farce cleared up" said William, walking over to the chair and sitting down. Grell scowled and lay down on the examination table. He pulled up his shirt and looked at his bare abdomen. He was only eight weeks, his abdomen hadn't changed at all, it was still flat, the skin soft and supple. Grell stroked it gently, smiling when he thought of the precious bundle inside. He couldn't wait to feel it move, to feel it kick for the first time, to hold it in his arms for the first time when it was born. Grell giggled to himself, wiggling a little on the table. William glared at him from his chair, wrinkling his nose a little in disgust,

"Must you do that?" he said "It's not even real". Grell pouted, folding his arms,

"Do you have to be so stubborn all the time?" he said "Can't you just give me the benefit of the doubt just once?". William opened his mouth to respond, the door creaked open as the doctor pushed in the ultrasound machine.

"Here we are Mr Sut-"the doctor paused as he saw William sat on the chair in the corner "Oh, Mr Spears, I didn't expect to see you here"

"I am simply curious about Sutcliff's health" said William "As his manager I am responsible for ensuring he is fit for duty". The doctor looked over at Grell. Grell sighed, waving a hand dismissively,

"OH, let him stay if he really wants" he said "He'll only bitch at me if I tell him to leave". William turned to protest, the doctor quickly cut him off,

"Right, let's get started" he said. He turned on the machine and picked up a bottle of gel "I'm afraid this will be cold" he squirted the gel straight onto Grell's bare abdomen. Grell squealed slightly, wiggling at the coldness. The doctor smiled and placed the probe on Grell's stomach. He moved it around carefully, watching the screen. A black and white image appeared presently, a loud whooshing noise filled the room as the probe picked up the baby's heartbeat. Grell listened to it intently, his eyes brimming with tears. William looked at the ultrasound machine, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. He stared coldly at the doctor, pushing up his glasses with his scythe,

"If this is some elaborate hoax, it's in very bad taste" he said, his brow creasing in anger. Grell snarled at him, baring his sharp teeth. The doctor chuckled lightly,

"I assure you it's not a hoax, Mr Spears" he said "As impossible as it is, this little jelly bean in Grell's abdomen is a growing, healthy baby". Grell relaxed, turning back to the ultrasound machine. He smiled tenderly as he looked at the image,

"No, not a _jelly_ bean" he said "It's my little Grelly bean".


	6. An Unlikely Connection

Gah! This has taken so long!

My inspiration kept going on vacation. I don't mind I just wish he took me with him.

So! Chapter five, at last. In which my shipping of AlanXRonald makes an appearance.

Next chapter, Unny'tater appears

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Alan Humphries, Eric Slingby, Ronald Knox and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso. I wish I owned muffins.

**Chapter 5:** An Unlikely Connection

Alan sighed heavily as he sat down in his office chair. Today was shaping up to be a pretty bad day, and it wasn't even 9am yet. To start, Alan was still confused and a little angry about Eric and Grell. He didn't know what was happening between the pair, but he knew he didn't like it. So, already Alan was in a bad mood. When he had arrived at work things were no better. William had presented him with a hefty stack of papers as soon as he'd stepped foot in the door. Alan didn't mind paperwork, but being stuck indoors filling in forms day after day started to grate on his nerves. He knew why he was being put on office duty -or, more accurately, who -and it frustrated him. While he appreciated Eric's concern for his well-being, he objected to being so heavily protected all the time.

After he begrudgingly accepted the offending stack of paperwork, Alan had sat down to write. He'd picked up the first form, only to find his favourite pen had broken. He didn't have a spare one, so he'd had to take one of the cheap plastic ones from the store cupboard, the ones that no-one ever used. Now Alan knew why. He'd only been writing for a half hour at most, and already his wrist and hand were hurting. He was pretty sure he'd have a nice big blister on his finger by the afternoon. Alan sighed and threw the useless writing implement in his trash can. He decided he would go over to Eric's office and borrow his pen for the day, seeing as the other man was out on dispatch. Not that Eric used his ink pen much even when he was doing paperwork, he preferred using a typewriter. Alan cut his train of thought short and stood up, walking over to Eric's office. He entered the empty room and began searching quietly through the desk drawers. They all turned up empty, save for a few packets of cigarettes (Alan highly considered taking them away, but he decided against it), a few old betting slips and a couple of questionable magazines. Alan felt himself blush a little as he quickly placed them back. He straightened up and walked towards the rather beaten looking file cabinet, frowning in confusion when something rustled under his foot. Alan looked down; he was stood on several crumpled up papers. He carefully picked them up and smoothed them out. Two of them were lecture time tables from the academy; the next group of new recruits were due to start soon and Eric was an instructor. Alan paid then no mind and placed them on the desk out of the way. He glanced at the third paper in his hand, his eyes grew wide,

"A hotel receipt?" he murmured "What did he need to stay at a hotel for? And with whom?"

"Alan senpai? Why are you snooping around Eric senpai's office?"

Alan jumped a little and quickly tucked the paper in his pocket. He turned around; Ronald was stood in the doorway, a stack of papers under one arm and a paper bag in the other. Alan fixed him a smile,

"I was just looking for his pen" he said "Mine broke and, since he doesn't need his today, I thought it would be alright to borrow it". He quickly grabbed the pen from its place on the desk and tucked it into his jacket pocket. Ronald looked at Alan, tilting his head a little in suspicion. Alan frowned a little,

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, tensing up "I'm telling the truth!"

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" said Ronald, holding his hands up in submission. Alan took a breath and relaxed a little. He carefully closed the door to Eric's office and began to walk back to his own. Ronald lowered his hands and followed Alan, juggling with the paperwork to keep it under his arm,

"So" he began, smiling "I hear you're on office duty again, want some company?" Alan paused and looked at the younger reaper,

"Excuse me?" he asked. Ronald chuckled,

"Would you like some company?" he asked, slowly "I have office duty too, but I can't stand being in my office all by myself, so, I was wondering if I could sit with you?". Alan thought for a few moments,

"I don't know" he said "I prefer to work by myself". Ronald grinned and shook the paper bag he was holding,

"I have muffins" he said "I'll happily share them with you". Alan's stomach grumbled; he was sure he had just started drooling. He'd never finished his stack of pancakes at breakfast, and he'd been in such a bad mood he'd forgotten to visit the canteen before entering the office. Alan looked at the paper bag and swallowed the saliva that was trying to escape his mouth,

"Alright, you can sit with me" he said, opening his office door. Ronald's grin widened, he did a little victory punch in the air. The papers slipped from under his arm and scattered all over the floor. Alan smirked and burst into laughter. He covered his mouth with his hand, his face turning red. Ronald pouted and began picking the papers up. Alan knelt down and helped him,

"H-Here, I think that's all of them" he said, still chuckling a little. Ronald took the papers and tucked them back into the stack,

"Thanks" he said, walking into Alan's office "You have no idea how many times I do that every day"

"Then why don't you get a folder to carry them in?" said Alan, following Ronald "I think I might have a spare one lying around if you want it". Ronald shrugged and dragged a spare chair over to Alan's desk. He flopped down on it, dumping his papers and the bag on top of Alan's neatly organized stationery,

"Think I'll pass" he said, opening up the paper bag "If I put everything in a folder and then lose it Boss senpai would throw a fit" he pulled out a slightly squashed muffin and held it out to Alan, dropping crumbs all over the desk. Alan sighed a little in annoyance and reached into his bottom drawer. He pulled out two side plates and a couple of knives. Ronald raised his eyebrow, chuckling,

"You keep tableware in your office?" he said. Alan took the muffin and placed it on one of the plates. He put the other one in front of his companion,

"I like to keep my desk clean" said Alan, cutting up his muffin with one of the knives "Otherwise everything gets sticky". Ronald chuckled and leant back in his chair, taking a big bite from his muffin,

"You need to learn to relax more" he said as he chewed "You'll end up like William senpai if you aren't careful". Alan snorted a little and smirked, popping a piece of muffin in his mouth,

"Please, no one is more anal than William" he said. The pair laughed loudly; Ronald chuckled, wiping a few tears from the corner of his eye. He ate the rest of his muffin and sat forward in his chair, grabbing the first paper from his stack on the desk,

"Well, best get started before William senpai hears us and tells us off for having too much fun" he said, picking up his pen to write. Alan smirked and picked up his pen as well,

"Yeah, good idea".

* * *

The pair worked diligently throughout the day, laughing, joking, talking, even leaving the office to go and have lunch together. Alan couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much. He signed off his last piece of paperwork and placed it on the pile for William. Ronald did the same with his last piece, throwing his pen down and leaning back in his chair with a triumphant sigh,

"Every last page filled in" he said. He glanced up at the clock "And it's only five, we finished early". Alan blinked and looked at his watch; Ronald was right,

"Huh, look at that" he said, his eyes wide "Now what do we do?". Ronald yawned and stretched out his arms,

"Well, we finished all off out paperwork, and there aren't any collections to be done" he said "I say we clock off early and head to the pub". Alan's eyes widened even more,

"We can't do that!" He said, clearly shocked "William would ring our necks!". Ronald chuckled and stood up, taking his suit jacket from the chair and putting it back on,

"Come on Allie senpai, just once won't kill us" he said "If William senpai finds out, I'll take the blame, alright?". Alan looked up at Ronald, sighing when he saw the pleading expression on his face. He conceded defeat and stood up, putting his own jacket back on,

"Alright, you win" he said "Let's go". Ronald gave a little victory punch and grabbed his stack of finished papers, hurrying out of the door. Alan sighed and shook his head, smiling just a little. He picked up his own pile of papers and headed out of the door as well, yelping slightly as he ran into Ronald's back,

"What's the matter?" he hissed, readjusting his glasses. Ronald put his finger to his lips and pointed down the hallway, William was marching straight towards them with surprising speed, an angry frown on his face. His ledger was neatly tucked under one arm and he was clutching a piece of paper tightly, glaring at it like he wanted it to spontaneously combust. Ronald watched as he approached them, he opened his mouth to speak,

"William senpai, I-" William walked straight past Ronald and Alan as though they weren't even there, storming into his office and slamming the door. Ronald looked at Alan, a little perplexed,

"That was weird" he said "Whatever's on that paper must be pretty important". Alan nodded in agreement. He shuffled the papers in his hands a little,

"Well, now what do we do?" he asked. Ronald looked at his papers, then up at William's door. He shrugged and carried the papers over, placing them in the in tray outside the office,

"I say we go like we planned too" he replied "William senpai is clearly too distracted to notice". Alan considered this for a few moments; Ronald had made a good point. He carried his papers over to the tray and placed them on top of Ronald's,

"Let's go then" he said, checking his pockets for his wallet and keys "Didn't you mention about going to the pub?". Ronald smiled happily,

"That's right, a cold pint sounds great right about now" he said "You wanna join me Allie?". Alan smiled back and nodded,

"I'd love too".


	7. Late Night Advice

Finally! I am so sorry this has taken so long!

Hehehe, Undertaker is so much fun to write! He's so goofy and so intelligent and so tricky all at the same time!

And yeah, I think William is a little OOC, but I think this situation would geniune throw him. It's one of the few situations I don't think he could handle. Good job Uncle Unny is around to give him a some advice~

Enjoy!

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** William T Spears, Undertaker and Grell Sutcliff belong to Yana Toboso.

**Chapter 6:**

The dispatch offices had long since closed for the night, the building empty save for the few night staff that patrolled the halls. William was still in his office even though his shift had finished hours ago. He was sat at his desk, staring at a piece of paper that was lying upon it. It was a copy of Grell's scan from earlier in the day, proof that the red head that been telling the truth. William glared at the paper, thoroughly annoyed by its presence. He did not take lightly to being proved wrong, let alone by Grell of all people. It was not the only reason for William's anger. The whole situation didn't sit right with him. The proof was in front of him in grainy black and white, he'd even been in the room as the scan was taken, yet still William was not convinced. He'd spent the last few hours scrutinizing the scan, trying to find a flaw that he knew didn't exist. Grell was an intelligent man, but William knew he didn't have the brains to pull off a hoax like this. Still, it was just too farfetched for him to believe it. Even if Grell could make himself into a convincing woman, he would always lack certain finer details. William sighed, taking off his glasses and pinching his nose,

"What on earth have you dragged me into now, Sutcliff?"

"Oh come on now William, I'm sure she's just playing"

William jumped at the sudden voice in his ear, his eyes wide. He turned his desk chair around; Undertaker was stood directly behind him, grinning his usual manic grin. William cleared his throat and straightened up,

"Undertaker, how good to see you" he said politely. He frowned suddenly "Wait, how did you get in here? It's after hours". Undertaker's grin somehow widened, a small line of drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He cackled loudly and held up his hand, his sleeve fell back to reveal a small silver key dangling from his index finger. William recognized it as the Dispatch skeleton key; it could open any door in the building regardless of restrictions or locks. William raised an eyebrow,

"How did you get that?" he asked,

"Always the inquisitive one, hmm?" said Undertaker, smirking a little "It was given to me when I retired, and no one has ever asked for it back".

"I think they were expecting you to return of your own free will" muttered William, pushing his glasses up. He cleared his throat and looked up at Undertaker, "At any rate, why are you here?"

"I often visit after hours, I like to spook the night staff" replied Undertaker, perching on the edge of William's desk. He spotted the scan and picked it up, holding it carefully between his long fingernails, "Oh my, you didn't tell me you had a bun in the oven, love",

"I don't!" snapped William, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. He quickly looked down, suddenly very interested in the items on his desk "Grell does". Undertaker grinned widely, his teeth showing through his lips. He pulled a small notebook from his pocket and jotted something on one of the pages,

"I do believe Mr Michaelis owes me a joke" he said, chuckling,

"You make bets with that thing?" said William, disgust evident in his voice.

"Oh yes, Mr Michaelis is quite the gambling man" said Undertaker "We often play cards together on weekends, along with that Trancy butler too". William shuddered; horrified such a legendary reaper would lower himself to play cards with a couple of lowly Demons. Undertaker either ignored William's disgust or simply didn't care about it, he carefully tucked the notebook back in his pocket and picked up the scan,

"So, Miss Sutcliff is going to be a mommy, how wonderful" he said, stroking the image with his fingertip. He looked at William, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth "Who's the daddy?". William felt his cheeks heat up once more, he turned away,

"I am" he said, quietly. Undertaker let out a howl of laughter, tipping sideways off the desk. He sat on the floor for a few moments, snorting and sniggering. Finally, his laughter settled and he stood up, setting his hand on William's shoulder,

"My dear boy, I didn't think you had it in you!" he said, chuckling every now and then "Well done". William raised an eyebrow,

"You honestly think it's true?" he said. Undertaker looked William directly in the eye,

"Of course I do, I know you wouldn't lie to Undertaker, now would you?" he said, giving him an icy smile. William turned his back on him, frowning,

"But…..it doesn't make sense!" he snapped, his frustrations finally coming out "Human males can't-" He jumped as Undertaker's finger appeared on his lips, pressing them closed. Undertaker perched back on the desk, his finger never moving,

"We are not human, are we?" he said "True, human males cannot carry a child, but, can you be sure Shinigami males cannot either?". William opened his mouth to argue and immediately closed it again. Much to his annoyance, Undertaker was technically correct. Even though they had been around for as long as anyone could remember, there was still a lot about Shinigami that was unknown. He sighed heavily, taking the scan picture from Undertaker. Grell was having a baby. He was having his baby. For the first time, William felt at a loss. He hated to admit it, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He never thought he would be facing the prospect of becoming a father. William didn't care for children, nor did he have any desire for his own. He sighed heavily again, tucking the scan in his inner jacket pocket. He ran his fingers through his hair gently,

"Undertaker?" he asked, softly "What should I do?". Undertaker smiled sadly and shook his head,

"I'm afraid I can't answer that one" he said "You need to figure that out on your own". William nodded silently; he stood up and grabbed his scythe, heading for the door. Undertaker watched him, he stood up,

"William" he said. The younger reaper turned around. Undertaker walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder,

"Don't focus so much on what's going to happen" he said "Grell needs you now" he gently tucked something in William's button hole and left the office. William frowned and looked down; a single rose was tucked into his coat, the red petals vibrant against the dark fabric. He picked it up carefully, examining it in the light,

"Grell…..".

* * *

The clock in lounge chimed as it neared 9pm. Grell was curled on the sofa, dozing lightly and wrapped in a blanket. Suit, William's German Shepard, was curled around his feet. The clock gave its last chime for the hour, a creak echoed across the room as the door opened. Grell groaned and opened his eyes, looking up as William walked in. He sat up and began to gather the blanket,

"S-Sorry Will, I just came to get some things and I fell asleep, I-I'll-" he blinked as William pressed a finger to his lips,

"It's okay Grell" said William, softly "I want you to stay". Grell looked at him curiously; William moved and carefully sat down beside him,

"I'm…sorry for the things I said and how I acted" he said, quietly. Grell relaxed, he took William's hand, holding it tenderly in his own. William looked at him, reaching forward and tucking his hair behind his ear,

"What's happening to us, what's happening to you, I can't say I understand it, and I'm not going to pretend I do, but…" he let go of the other reaper's hand and reached into his coat pocket. Slowly, he pulled out the rose and offered it to Grell,

"I'm here for as long as you need me to be".

 


	8. Ultimatum

Finally have this submitted! I'm so sorry everyone who has been waiting! TT^TT

I realised as I was typing this that Eric was starting to talk like me. I quickly changed that, heh

Next chapter will be a little time skip. And some drama

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Eric Slingby, Alan Humphries, Ronald Knox, Grell Sutcliff and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso.

**Chapter 7:**

Eric finally arrived home a little after ten pm, exhausted from the extra reaps he'd had to complete. He stumbled into his hallway, slamming the door against the wind and rain that had appeared from seemingly nowhere. Eric shivered as he began to peel off his wet clothes, a harsh cough burst through his lips. Eric brought his hand to his mouth, coughing a few more times. He sighed in irritation, if he ended up getting sick he was going to kick William down the nearest flight of stairs. Eric knew William had given him the extra collections on purpose, and he knew exactly why too. Although it wasn't always obvious, William could be a jealous man when he found something he wanted to hang on to. The extra collections had been his subtle way of telling Eric to stay away from Grell. Eric sighed as he pulled his shoes and socks off, switching them for his warm slippers. He wished William would make up his mind about Grell. While the red head made no secrets of their relationship, William almost never talked about it. Yet, should anyone else make a move on Grell, he was quick to mark his territory. Eric grumbled to himself as he walked to the kitchen to make some tea. It wasn't as if he wanted to take Grell from William. He just wanted to be a good friend, considering what he'd got Grell into it was the least he could do. With a heavy sigh, Eric began to fill the kettle. He set it to boil on the stove and took out a couple of mugs from the cupboard,

"I'm home Alan" he called "Fancy a brew?" He waited a few minutes, frowning when no one answered him. He took the kettle off the stove and walked into the lounge. The couch and the chairs were empty; the soft blue throw hanging on the stair rail was untouched. Eric grew a little worried, Alan was always home before he was. He was always waiting for him on the couch, nose deep in whatever book he was currently reading. Eric bit his lip and quickly hurried up the stairs, heading straight into the bedroom. Alan wasn't there either. The bedclothes were still neatly made; no suit was hanging on the outside of the closet. Eric began to panic, hundreds of horrible scenarios flashing through his mind. He ran back down the stairs and into the hall, grabbing his coat and hastily trying to kick his slippers off. He jammed the key in the lock and jiggled the handle,

"Rule number one! A Shinigami must wear glasses! Hahahaha!"

Eric frowned as raucous singing and laughter began to drift in from outside. He jiggled the handle and opened the door slowly. Alan and Ronald were stood on the porch, leaning on each other and singing loudly out of tune. Their cheeks were glowing bright red; a strong scent of alcohol was hovering around them. Eric sighed, they were clearly drunk. He stepped outside and grabbed Alan's wrist, gently pulling him inside. The smaller reaper yelped and giggled as he was dragged; he clung tightly to Ronald and pulled him along as well. Eric rolled his eyes at them,

"What the hell have you two been doing?!" he asked, his anger directed mostly towards Ronald,

"We've been doing good times man! Good times!" yelled Ronald, his words slurring into each other. He stumbled and groaned suddenly "…feel ill…..gonna hurl….". Eric swooped over and seized him by the collar, growling a little,

"If you even think of chunderin' in here you'll go straight back outside!" he hissed. He dragged Ronald to the kitchen and roughly shoved his head into the sink. The younger reaper groaned again and threw up noisily onto the dirty dishes. Eric sighed and quickly left the room. He returned to the lounge, Alan was curled up on the couch fast asleep. Eric walked over and carefully picked him up, carrying him up the stairs and into their shared bedroom,

"You need to learn to smack Knox around the head once a while" he said, taking off Alan's jacket, shirt and tie and tucking him into bed "Otherwise the git will never learn". He carefully removed Alan's glasses and placed them on the bedside table. Softly, he kissed the smaller reaper's cheek,

"I'll be back in an hour to check on you" he whispered "First, I have to sort out the idiot" he straightened up and crossed the room to the closet. He pulled out a spare blanket and a pillow and headed downstairs,

"Ronald?" he called "Where are you?" he walked down to the lounge and dumped the bedding on the couch. A low groan caught Eric's ears; he sighed and walked into the kitchen. Ronald was slumped on the floor by the kitchen sink, holding his head. Eric walked over and hooked his arms under the younger reaper's armpits,

"Up you go, moron" he said, smiling just a little. He steered him into the lounge and laid him on the couch "You can stay here for the night, and if you promise not to throw up everywhere, I might make you breakfast"

"No deal…." groaned Ronald. He rolled, tipping over the edge of the couch and straight onto the floor "Owie…". Eric chuckled and hoisted him back up,

"Just stay still, alright?" he said "Goodnight Knox". He left the younger reaper to sleep and returned to the kitchen. He refilled the kettle and put it back on to boil. With a sigh, Eric rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to clean up the mess Ronald had left in the sink. Luckily he had always had a strong stomach; otherwise he was sure he would be adding to it. HeH He was going to need quite a few cigarettes after tonight, he was sure of that. For a while, the only sound in the kitchen was the clinking of plates and glasses as Eric washed the dishes and put them away. He sighed as he put away the last glass,

"Finally" he said, yawning "Time to hit the sack"

He started walking to the lounge; a quiet knocking at the back door caught his ears. He frowned in annoyance and continuing walked, planning to ignore it. The knocking came again, Eric growled and stomped to the door, grabbing it and throwing it open,

"Can I help you?" he snapped, a little sharper than he had intended. He paused, his eyes widening when he saw Grell standing on the doorstep. He quickly stepped aside to let him in,

"What are you doing here Grell?" he asked "Did William kick you out again?"

"No, I snuck out" replied Grell, walking quietly into the kitchen "I wanted to see you, I…I have something for you". Eric raised an eyebrow in curiosity; he took Grell to the kitchen table and offered him a seat,

"Alright, make it quick" he said, sitting down opposite "And keep quiet, Ronald is asleep in the lounge"

"Why is Ronald asleep in your lounge?" asked Grell. He shook his head "No, it doesn't matter, here" he reached into his pocket and took out a sealed envelope. Gently, he slid it across the table. Eric picked it up, examining it carefully,

"What's this?" he asked,

"I thought you might like to see it" said Grell, looking down at his hand "Go ahead, open it". Eric looked between Grell and the envelope. He sighed and carefully broke the seal, pulling out the piece of paper inside. It was a copy of Grell's scan; Eric felt tears well in his eyes as he looked at the image. Very reluctantly, he placed the image face down on the table,

"Grell…."

"What's wrong, don't you like it?" asked Grell, tears appearing in his eyes. He reached over to take Eric's hand; the older reaper hastily moved it away,

"Grell don't" he said "You can't have this both ways"

"I know what I said before" said Grell, crying more "But you were right too, what if it is your baby like you said? You should be part of its life too"

"Then tell William the truth and let me be the baby's father" said Eric,

"I can't tell William the truth! You know I can't!" said Grell "I can't hurt him like that"

"And that makes it okay to hurt me?!" said Eric, now starting to cry himself "I will be part of the baby's life if you want me to, but I refuse to share it with another man" He stood up and escorted Grell to the back door, opening it for him,

"If you want William to be the baby's father, fine" said Eric "But if that's the choice you make, then I want no part in it, don't build my hopes up if you're only going to take them away again.

 


	9. Triangles

**Author's Notes:** Chapter 8! The one with the drama, apparently.

So yeah, I ship EricXGrell. And we have ourselves a love triangle. This may mean fisticuffs.

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** William T Spears, Grell Sutcliff, Ronald Knox, Alan Humphries and Undertaker belong to Yana Toboso.

**Chapter 8:**

Two months passed by uneventful in the dispatch offices of London. Slowly, the festive season approached and offices became slowly covered in decorations and lights of all sorts. Even William's office had gained its own brightly coloured tinsel, hanging daintily from the ceiling. Grell had personally made sure William's office had been decorated, along with any office he had happened to find open. He was now four months into his pregnancy, his belly was just starting to swell and round out. It could be seen just strained against his dress shirt if one looked close enough. Grell smiled to himself as he walked to William's office, gently rubbing his belly with one hand. In the other he carried a lunch box, carefully wrapped in a red napkin. Daintily, he raised his hand and knocked on William's door with his knuckles,

"Will! Are you there?" he called. He waited, frowning when there was no answer. Carefully, he grabbed the handle and pushed open the door,

"William, I made you lunch!" he said, smiling once more. He paused; William was stood by the office window, buttoning his coat. Grell frowned,

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked. William nodded, adjusting his coat collar,

"I have a few errands I must get done" he said, grabbing his briefcase "I have arranged leave for myself this afternoon, Slingby will be in charge until I return"

"B-But….I made us lunch" said Grell, looking sadly at the wrapped package in his hands. He looked at William once more "And you'll miss the office Christmas party!"

"I'm sorry Grell, but I simply must get my errands done" said William. He walked over and gently kissed the red head's cheek, resting one hand on his round belly "I will try my best to be back in time for the party" Grell pouted a little, looking down at the floor

"You'd better be" he said "A lady shouldn't attend a party by herself"

"A proper gentleman would never abandon his lady" said William. He gently tilted Grell's chin up and captured his lips in a soft kiss "I have to go, both of you stay out of trouble, alright?" he gave Grell's belly one last rub and left the office. Grell stood silently in the empty room, staring forlornly at the door. He looked at the package in his hand and sighed deeply, heading out into the hallway. Eric was sat in his office directly opposite, his door wide open. Grell walked over, dropping the lunch box on the older reaper's desk and making him jump. Eric looked at the wrapped box and then up at Grell, blinking in confusion. Grell giggled and smiled,

"Would you like to have lunch with me, love?".

* * *

William hurried down the crowded high street, his shoulders hunched against the flurries of snow. He shivered and pushed his hands further into his pockets, trying to keep them warm. The weather had taken a grim turn, the roads and pavements were already covered with snow and slush. William grumbled and walked faster, trying unsuccessfully to negotiate around the throngs of Christmas shoppers. He wanted to finish his errands and get back to the dispatch before the weather got any worse; the last thing he wanted was to get caught in the snow and catch some kind of human illness. Obviously, human illnesses didn't affect Shinigami in quite the same way, but attempting to complete paperwork while one's nose was running like a leaky tap was an annoyance William could very well do without. Not to mention he couldn't risk fetching anything into the dispatch that could harm Grell and the baby. William jumped suddenly, shivering as a pile of snow dropped from a shop awning straight down the back of his coat. He wriggled around to try and dislodge it, his cheeks flushing when he realized how ridiculous he must look. He cleared his throat and quickly walked on, pushing his way out of the crowd and heading through the empty marketplace. He was heading to an independent jewellers shop on the edge of the town, one he knew Grell favoured highly. The pieces it offered were unique, very elegant, and had price tags that could freeze a man at fifty paces. William approached the shop door and took a deep breath, already feeling the considerable dent in his poor credit card. Still, if it made Grell happy, then it was worth it. William raised his hand and pushed open the door, the little bell above the frame tinkled sweetly to announce his presence. The shopkeeper looked up from the items he was examining, smiling when he saw William,

"Ah, Mr Spears, delightful to see you again" he said, hurrying over to the counter "You're here to pick up your order, I presume?"

"Yes I am" said William, rubbing his fingers to get the feeling back in them "I do hope it is ready"

"I assure you it is, Mr Spears" replied the shopkeeper "Allow me to go and fetch it for you" he chuckled to himself and turned, walking to the back of the shop. William stood patiently at the counter, looking around at the various pieces of jewellery on display. He had to admit, even if it was expensive, Grell did have good taste,

"I have it, Mr Spears!" William walked to the counter as the shopkeeper returned clutching a red velvet box. The shopkeeper placed it on the countertop and took out a pair of white gloves,

"Made to your exact specifications" he said happily, pulling on the gloves "Would you like to see it before I put it through the register?"

"No thank you" said William "I trust you have done the job correctly"

"If you are sure" the shopkeeper carefully placed the box into a gift bag and tied the ribbon at the top in a bow to secure it. He handed the bag to William and swiped his credit card, completing the purchase,

"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr Spears" he said "I do hope your lady friend likes it".

* * *

Grell sighed to himself as he sat in the Dispatch's grand hall, sipping orange juice from a champagne flute. The annual Christmas party was in full swing, all the departments had come together to celebrate. Even Undertaker was rumoured to be there, although it was more than likely he had turned up only for the free bar. Grell sighed again and swirled his juice, disappointed he couldn't add just a little vodka to make it interesting. He looked up at the reapers on the dance floor, many of them dancing in couples. William had yet to return, and Grell was feeling lonely,

"This seat taken, darlin'?"

Grell looked up and over his shoulder, smiling just a little when he saw Eric standing behind him, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He nodded, turning to face the older reaper as he sat down,

"Shouldn't you be with Alan?" he asked, taking another sip of his juice. Eric shrugged taking a rather large gulp of whiskey,

"He said he was gonna be late" he said "Something about paperwork with Ronald or whatever" he took another gulp of whiskey, draining the glass. He plonked it down on the table and called over a server, ordering another one. Grell frowned in concern; he knew what it meant when Eric started drinking whiskey like it was water,

"Is something bothering you?" he asked,

"Tch, just frustrated" replied Eric, his forehead set in a heavy frown "Alan's been spendin' all his time with Ronald and it's botherin' me",

"Have you tried talking to him?" asked Grell. Before he even asked the question Grell knew the answer. While Eric was not exactly an open book about his relationship with Alan, anyone who knew him knew how loyal he was to the younger reaper,

"I don't want to hurt him" said Eric, gulping down a third whiskey. Grell sighed, tucking his hair behind his ear,

"And that makes it okay for him to hurt you?" he asked. Eric lowered his glass, scowling a little at having his own line thrown back at him. Grell gently took his hand,

"Don't you think it would hurt Alan more to know he'd been hurting you and he didn't even realize it?" Eric looked away from him, swirling his drink. He ran his fingers through his hair,

"It's not just Alan's time with Ronald that's the problem" he said quietly. Grell raised an eyebrow curiously. He got up and moved around the table, sitting next to the older reaper,

"What is it, love?" he asked "You can talk to me". Eric sighed and looked down at the table, unable to bring his gaze to meet Grell's,

"I-I….I think I have feelings for someone else" he said, running his finger around the rim of his glass. Grell rubbed Eric's shoulder gently,

"That's not a crime, love" he said. Eric lifted his head and looked at Grell; he smiled and gently took his hand. Softly, he began to stroke the red head's hair,

"You look wonderful tonight, darling" he said. He lifted Grell's hand and kissed it. Grell frowned in confusion, realization slowly dawned on him. His eyes widened, he tore his hand away from Eric and scrambled up from his seat,

"E-Eric..." he gasped. He started backing away from the table; his heel caught on the hem of his dress and pulled him backwards. Eric jumped up and grabbed him, wrapping his arms around the red head's waist,

"Careful!" he shouted, pulling him close. Grell stiffened and pulled away, distancing himself from the older reaper,

"Eric, don't!" he snapped. Eric frowned, anger suddenly on his features,

"I can't help the way I feel!" he said, glaring "You and the baby are too good for him Grell! You should…..you should be with me!"

"Let it go Eric! I chose him!" shouted Grell, tears appearing in his eyes "I love William! I always have and I always will!"

"Well, that's a comforting fact to know" Grell and Eric froze. Slowly, they turned around. William was stood behind them, still in his thick winter coat. His hair and shoulders were covered in snowflakes; a small puddle was forming around his shoes as they melted onto the floor. Grell smiled and ran over to him, grabbing him in a tight embrace,

"William" he whispered "Where have you been?". William hugged Grell close and gently kissed his forehead,

"My apologies, my errands were held up by the snow storms" he said. He kissed Grell softly on the lips; smiling at him afterwards "I have something for you" He moved away from Grell and reached into his pocket, pulling out the small velvet box. Grell's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in shock,

"W-William?" he gasped, his hands shaking. William simply smiled more and bent down one knee. He opened the box, revealing a perfectly crafted gold ring, set with diamonds and rubies in a feather shape design. Grell brought his hand to his mouth, beginning to cry. William blushed and offered the ring,

"Grell Sutcliff, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?".

 


	10. A Cause for Celebration

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Grell Sutcliff, William T Spears, Eric Slingby, Undertaker, Alan Humphries and Ronald Knox belong to Yana Toboso.

**Chapter 9:**

Grell stared at the ring in William's hand, tears in his eyes. The Grand Hall fell into silence; a circle of partygoers had formed around the couple, hushed murmurs rippling through the crowd. Eric stared at William, an expression of disbelief on his face. He looked to Grell, his right hand twitched, wanting to dart forward and grab the red head's arm. He opened his mouth as though to speak, his eyes silently begging the other reaper to look at him. But Grell was lost in his own world. All he could see was William and the ring. He laughed gently and nodded, more tears escaping his eyes,

"Y-Yes…." He whispered "Oh g-god William….yes!"

Grell ran forward; William stood up and swept him into his arms, holding him tightly. The Grand Hall erupted into raucous laughter and cheers, a thunderous round of applause almost making the floor and walls shake. William laughed a little, gazing into Grell's eyes as he stroked his hair. He carefully took the ring from its box and placed it gently on Grell's finger. The red head squealed happily and wrapped his arms around William's neck, pulling him down into a passionate kiss. The cheers and applause somehow grew louder; party poppers and streamers burst around the couple, showering them in glitter and foil. Champagne bottles began to appear from behind the bar, clumsily being passed around the crowd. One of the reapers grabbed the microphone from the DJ, lifting to his lips as he waved his champagne bottle aloft,

"Let's hear it for the future Mr and Mrs Spears!"

The gathered reapers cheered once more; explosions echoed around the hall as the champagne was uncorked, the golden liquid pouring all over the floor. Glasses were handed out; the music was turned up even higher, the noise level threatening to break through the roof. Even Undertaker appeared, waving his favoured glass of brandy and leading the impromptu celebration with his manic laughter.

"What the hell just happened?!"

Eric stood rooted to the spot, his words lost in the raucous noise of the hall. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, his eyes wide as he watched Grell and William. The couple were holding each other in a tender embrace, laughing and smiling as they danced to the music. William leant down and captured Grell's lips in a soft kiss, one of his hands resting protectively on Grell's bump. Eric's expression turned sour, he growled and clenched his fist tightly. He began to breathe rapidly, anger bubbling up inside him. Another growl escaped from his lips; he turned away angrily and pushed his way rudely through the crowds, running out onto the balcony that overlooked the grand courtyard. He began to pace across the concrete in agitation and frustration, rather like a wild animal in a cage. Suddenly, he seized hold of the metal railings, letting out an animalistic howl of rage,

"My, my, my, sounds like a poor bear has a rather large thorn in his paw, hehehe"

Eric tensed as the voice tickled in his ear. The railings began to rattle as his hands shook; he spun around suddenly and glared at Undertaker,

"What do you want, old man?" he snapped, a little louder than he had intended.

"I was merely curious to why you were missing a perfectly good party" said Undertaker, reached forward and grabbing Eric's chin "Shouldn't you be celebrating your friends' engagement?". Eric scowled and pulled his chin from Undertaker's grip,

"I'm not really in the party mood" he said, turning away and pouting a little "They probably don't even realize I'm not there anyway"

"I dare say they don't, but why should they?" asked Undertaker "Their special evening shouldn't be ruined by a toddler's temper tantrum". Eric's eyes blazed fiercely; he turned to face the Undertaker once more, an angry snarl tearing from his lips,

"Say that again" he hissed. He pulled out his saw, his face rapidly turning red "Say it again! I dare ya!" he charged at the older reaper, his scythe raised to strike. Undertaker simply grinned and whipped around Eric, grabbing his arm and bending it back to make him drop his saw. He then slammed him into the wall, raising his leg and pressing his knee into the small of Eric's back,

"Goodness me Slingby" he said, shaking his head "Did your mother never teach you to respect your elders?". Eric growled and wriggled in the older reaper's grip

"Lemme go, ya lunatic!" he yelled "Lemme go!" he struggled more, trying to arch his back against Undertaker's knee. The older reaper quickly moved his leg, causing Eric to overbalance and fall backwards onto the floor. Undertaker smirked and bent over the younger reaper, his long silver locks brushing Eric's cheeks and nose,

"You're not going to win Miss Sutcliff's affections, you know" said Undertaker "I believe she chose William, or did the little display in the hall just now not make it clear enough to you?". Eric scowled and batted away Undertaker's hair, standing up again,

"Why should Grell settle fer William?" said Eric. He stomped over the railings and pulled out his packet of cigarettes, putting one in his mouth and lighting it "What does William 'ave that I don't?"

"Healthy lungs, for a start boy" said Undertaker, walking over to stand next to Eric. He raised his eyebrow a little at Eric's cigarette, but didn't comment. He leant on the railing and gazed out over the courtyard below, grinning as the wind ruffled his hair,

"You really are such a child at times, Eric" he said, playing idly with the charms around his waist "So obsessed with getting what you can't have, you can't see what's happening right in front of your eyes" Eric turned the older reaper and raised his eyebrow in confusion, taking a drag on his cigarette. Undertaker seemed to be talking nonsense, more so than usual. Eric sighed and scratched his braids, turning away again to puff out his cigarette smoke. Undertaker chuckled and turned away,

"Don't let your focus be skewed, Slingby" he said, heading towards the Grand Hall doors "A treasure taken for granted soon gets lost" he walked inside and disappeared back into the crowd. Eric rolled his eyes and took another drag on his cigarette, looking out over the courtyard once more. A couple could be seen in the distance, silhouetted as they sat hand in hand on a vast fountain. Eric watched as the pair fooled around with each other, their laughter hanging on the breeze. He shook his head and turned away

"Couple 'o' drunks" he muttered "Probably won't even remember each other by morning".

* * *

"Ronnie, it's so beautiful out here"

Alan smiled as he sat upon the rim of the courtyard fountain, gazing up at the delicate stars twinkling above. He turned to Ronald sat next to him,

"Are you should you wouldn't rather be at the party?" he asked "I'm sure the secretaries are missing you" Ronald chuckled, putting his arm around the smaller reaper,

"I'm not gonna lie, it does sound awesome in there" he said, looking briefly at the glowing lights of the hall "But I'm having a much better time out here with you" he held Alan close, kissing the top of his head. Alan blushed and looked away,

"Stop it Ronnie" he said. He turned to look up at him "Do you really mean that?". Ronald nodded, rubbing Alan's arm,

"Of course I do" he said. Alan blushed more, cuddling a little closer to the taller reaper. He looked down at his hands, a small smile creeping on his face,

"Did you hear the news?" said Ronald, suddenly "William proposed to Grell, one knee and ring and everything" Alan looked up at him, his eyes wide,

"Really?" he exclaimed, slight disbelief in his voice "Was William senpai drunk?"

"No, stone cold sober from what I heard" said Ronald "I know, I didn't believe it either" he smirked and started to laugh, Alan smiled and joined in, their voices loud in the quiet atmosphere. Finally, they managed to calm themselves down. Alan chuckled a few times and sighed,

"A wedding, how wonderful" he said. He looked down at his gloved fingers, suddenly feeling sad "I wish I could have what they have" he looked up at the starred sky, feeling a few tears welling up in his eyes. Ronald looked over at the smaller reaper, gently wiping away his tears with his thumb,

"But you do have what they have" he said, softly "You have Eric, he loves you". Alan started to cry more, holding onto Ronald tighter,

"Lately I just don't know if he does" he said, whimpering a little "He doesn't seem interested in me anymore, he doesn't notice me at all!" he buried his head on Ronald's shoulder, starting to sob. Ronald wrapped his arms around the smaller reaper and rocked him gently, stroking his hair with one hand,

"Hey now, don't cry Allie" he said "Eric loves you more than anyone in the world, and he adores you, even if he's too stubborn to admit it" he held Alan closer, rocking him until his sobs had finally quietened down. Alan sniffled and wiped his eyes shakily, looking up at his companion,

"Ronnie may I….." he looked down again, his cheeks starting to turn red "If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it a secret?" Ronald smiled and nodded,

"You can tell me anything Allie" Alan sniffled again and let go of Ronald. He stood up carefully and began to fiddle with the waistband of his pants. Ronald watched him and frowned, curiously to what he was doing. He saw Alan place his thumb into his waistband and stretch it, showing it was obviously elasticated. Ronald frowned more,

"Why are you wearing elasticated pants?" he asked. Alan looked up at him,

"You'll see" he said, quietly. He tugged at his pants and un-tucked his dress shirt, the hemline fell almost to his knees,

"Is that Eric's shirt?" said Ronald, his eyes growing wide. Alan nodded and slowly pulled the shirt up, showing off his belly. It was rounded out and clearly swollen, much like Grell's tummy. Alan looked up at Ronald, tears spilling from his eyes again,

"Ronald…." He breathed "I'm eleven weeks pregnant".

* * *

**Author's Comments:**

**Good lord, that ending is so twisted I think I gave myself whiplash *rubs neck***

**My muse thought it would be a good idea, little sadist.**

**Oh well, enjoy everyone~ I finally figured out some kind of plot for this, so I'm gonna try my hardest to get chapters out more frequently.**

 


	11. Deflated Reaper

**Author's notes:** I'm only two years late...that's nothing really...

Finally managed to update this, hopefully now the ball is rolling again I can keep it going

* * *

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Alan Humphries, Ronald Knox, Eric Slingby, Grell Sutcliff and William T Spears belong to Yana Toboso

**Chapter 10:**

An awkward silence fell over the courtyard. Ronald stared open mouthed at the swell of Alan's belly. His body began to tremble; he backed away in disbelief, hitting the rim of the fountain and falling into the water with a splash. Alan dropped his shirt and hurried over, grabbing Ronald's arm in a vain attempt to help him up,

"R-Ronnie! I'm sorry I didn't mean-" he gasped suddenly, cutting his sentence short. His breathing grew shallow, he panted as his chest began to grow tight. Ronald quickly scrambled out of the fountain, taking Alan into his arms,

"Allie! Allie, relax!" he held Alan gently, rocking him ever so slightly to try and calm him. Alan rested his head on Ronald's shoulder, his breathing slowly relaxing to normal. Ronald stroked his hair gently,

"You get yourself worked up so easily" he said. Alan sniffled, fresh tears forming in his eyes. Ronald sighed and held him close, wiping away his tears with his thumb,

"It's okay Allie, don't cry" he said softly. He guided Alan to the rim of the fountain and helped him sit down. Alan gripped Ronald's hand like it was a security blanket, almost afraid to let it go. Ronald sat next to Alan and brushed a few strands of hair from the smaller reaper's face,

"Why have you been hiding this?" he asked "Why did you tell someone? Why haven't you told Eric?"

Alan sniffled, leaning into Ronald. He put his hand on his belly, a few tears falling from his eyes onto the stone of the fountain,

"I found out around the same time Grell found out about his baby" he said, quietly "I meant to tell Eric, but he seems so obsessed with Grell's baby, it just never felt like the right time"

A whimper escaped Alan's mouth, he looked up at Ronald with a guilty expression, like a child being scolded

"I didn't mean to keep it from him this long, honestly I didn't!"

"Sssh, don't get yourself worked up again" said Ronald, rubbing Alan's shoulder "I understand why you did what you did"

He stood up and squeezed out the excess water from his shirt and suit jacket, trying to smooth them out as best he could. Slowly, he turned back to Alan,

"I think it's time you told Eric, he needs to know" he said. He offered his hand to Alan, offering him a reassuring smile "I'll go with you, if you want"

Alan looked at Ronald's outstretched hand, then up at Ronald himself. His expression was fearful, but he reached out and took Ronald's hand anyway, standing up carefully,

"Thank you"

* * *

The Grand Hall was almost empty, the reapers that had attended the party had since dispersed, taking their celebrations to the streets of the Shinigami city. Grell and William had also left, returning to their home as Grell had complained of tiredness. Only Eric remained, slouched at a table in the corner, clutching a bottle of whiskey. A glass was sitting by his hand, the ice in it long since melted as it sat forgotten. Eric brought his bottle to his lips, taking a long gulp, dribbling a little into his goatee. He coughed as he swallowed the drink, slamming the bottle onto the table. A breeze blew in from the open balcony doors, the streamers and confetti left on the floor rustled as they moved across the champagne soaked wood, collecting in piles. A balloon drifted lazily across the ceiling, slowly starting to sink to the floor. Eric watched it, following it with his eyes as it fell silently to the floor. A cruel metaphor to how he was feeling, forgotten and deflated as he sunk lower and lower. He took another gulp of whiskey, getting up and stumbling over to the balloon. He stared at it for a few minutes, his lips twisted into a snarl as he lifted his foot and brought it down hard, bursting the defenceless balloon with the heel of his boot,

"Teach y'ta make a fool outta me…." he growled

"Eric…..?"

Eric grunted at the sound of his name, he looked over his shoulder, seeing Alan and Ronald stood at the hall's double entrance doors. He rolled his eyes and walked over, standing with his arms crossed,

"Whaddaya want?" he said "Though' y'd be 'ome cuddlin' each other b'now"

Alan winced a little at Eric's words, backing behind Ronald involuntarily,

"It's not like that" he said "We're just friends, honestly"

He took a deep breath and forced himself to step forward. Ronald reached out and touched Alan's hand to reassure him, the brunet smiled at the blond before turning his gaze towards Eric,

"I…..I have something to tell you….." Alan reached for the waist band of his pants, slowly untucking his overly big shirt. Eric frowned, not sure what Alan was doing,

"Are y'strippin fer me or summat?"

Alan shook his head continuing to slowly pull the shirt free of his trousers. He held the hem in his hands, twisting it nervously. Gently, he lifted it up to show Eric his round belly,

"We're having a baby Eric" he whispered "I'm already eleven weeks"

Eric frown only deepened at first, his eyes suddenly widening as he saw Alan's belly. He froze in place, completely numb to his surroundings. Trembling, he lifted one hand, reaching out slightly towards Alan's tummy,

"Why…" he breathed "Why didn't you tell me?"

Something snapped in Eric's brain, something blazed angrily in his eyes. He snarled, his hand clenching into a fist,

"Why didn't you tell me?!" he lashed out to the side, knocking over a nearby chair. Alan jumped and backed away, almost hitting Ronald,

"E-Eric…." He trembled "Eric, I'm sorry!"

Eric snarled again and turned away from Alan, knocking another chair clean across the room. He kicked a third, picking up a forth and throwing it into the wall, a considerable dent appearing in the paint and plaster underneath. Alan flinched at the sounds of the crashing chairs, pressing closer to Ronald. His eyes were wide with shock and fear, his heart thudding heavily against his chest. The thudding turned into an ache, like a bruise spreading across his skin. Alan winced, he gave it a quick rub and stood up, hurrying to try and calm Eric,

"Eric please!" he winced again, trying to hide it. Ronald hurried to Alan's side to try and calm him,

"Alan, don't get so worked up….."

Alan pulled away, stumbling forward a little. He approached Eric again,

"Eric, please stop this…"

"Y'shoulda told me!" Eric shouted, pulling his arm away from Alan. He spun around and kicked another chair, scraping the varnish from the floor. He raised his hand to punch the table, Alan ran forward and grabbed Eric's arm a second time. In a flash Eric had spun to face Alan, flexing his arm and shoving him away roughly. Alan fell backwards and landed on the floor heavily, his whole body tensing. A scream tore from his lips, his chest seizing in an attack. Pain blazed over his body, he continued to scream as he writhed in agony. Ronald ran over and dropped to his knees,

"Alan?!"

Eric stood once again frozen in place, staring in horror as he watched Alan suffer his attack. He tried to step forward, Ronald glared furiously and almost growled,

"Stay away from him!" he yelled. Alan screamed again, his eyes rolling as his fragile body began to convulse in pain. Footsteps echoed outside the hall, several reapers running in after hearing Alan's screams. Ronald cradled the brunet in his arms, trying to find some way to soothe his pain,

"Allie….Alan, it's alright, I've got you" he stroked Alan's hair "Tell me what to do to help you…"

Alan looked at Ronald briefly, his eyes glazed over. His body convulsed a few more times, he gave a sigh as he eyes slipped closed. He grew heavy in Ronald's arms, the blond began to panic,

"Alan?!"

Alan's head flopped against Ronald's arm, a small gasp left his lips, his breath leaving his body. Ronald cried out loudly,

"Alan!"


	12. Consequences

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Alan Humphries, Ronald Knox, Grell Sutcliff, William T Spears and Eric Slingby belong to Yana Toboso

**Chapter 11:**

_The sun shined brightly down from the sky, reflecting cheerfully from the leaves on the trees and plants as they swayed in the summer breeze. A couple of birds chirped overhead, Alan stirred at the noise and began to wake, yawning a little. He sat up carefully, feeling the ground underneath him, frowning when he felt…..fleece? Alan looked around, he was laying on a picnic blanket, the remains of a picnic lunch on plates around him. He blinked in confusion, someone giggled at him,_

" _Mama, you's so silly!"_

_Alan turned around, a little boy had crawled into his lap, he looked to be no more five years old. He had the bright green eyes of a reaper, soft blond curls atop his head. One curl stuck out more prominently than the others, reaching out from his fringe in a cute cowlick. Alan blinked again, instinctively putting his arms around the boy_

" _Where are we?" he asked, the boy giggled again,_

" _Silly mama! We's havin' a picnic!" he said "Daddy! Mama's bein' a silly goose!"_

_Alan looked around for whoever 'daddy' was, he'd figured out this little boy was supposed to be his son. A soft laugh sounded from behind him,_

" _Be gentle with Mama, kiddo, he's probably just still sleepy from his nap"_

_Ronald was kneeling by a picnic basket, packing away empty Tupperware boxes. Alan gasped at him,_

" _R-Ronald? But where's….." Ronald's finger appeared on his lips, quietening him_

" _Sssh, you're still sleepy I think" he said "You were having a very deep nap just now"_

_Alan stared up at Ronald in confusion, he had no idea what was happening but he doubted it was just because he was sleepy_

"….Alan….."

_Alan jumped, looking around quickly. Did someone just say his name? He looked up at Ronald fearfully,_

" _Did you hear something just now?" he asked. Ronald shook his head,_

" _No, nothing" he chuckled "I told you, you're just sleepy"_

"Alan…please….."

" _There is was again!" Alan looked around more urgently, growing more scared. Ronald frowned this time, lifting his hand to feel Alan's forehead,_

" _Are you feeling alright? Maybe we should go home so you can rest…"_

" _I'm fine!" snapped Alan "How can you not hear that voice? It's so loud!"_

"Just wake up….please just wake up!"

" _There! Just now!" Alan turned to look up at Ronald, the blond had disappeared. He looked around, the little boy had gone too. The bright sun light was starting to fade, the trees along with it. Alan tried to stand, even the blanket and grass beneath his feet were fading away. He tried to run, trying to beat the fade. Suddenly he tripped, tumbling downwards_

"Alan, I need you….."

* * *

Ronald rested his head on the crisp white sheets of Alan's hospital bed, recently changed by the kind nurses looking after him. Weeks old stubble covered Ronald's chin, almost resembling a beard he hadn't been bothered to shave for so long. He was still wearing his work suit, the fabric creased and stained from not showering or changing. Ronald gave a little sniffle, though he had long since run out of tears to gave Alan's hand a squeeze, stroking it softly with his thumb,

"Is today gonna be the day?" he asked, quietly "Surely you've slept long enough now"

Ronad gave a dry chuckle, raising Alan's hand to his lips and kissing it softly. His stubble brushed the pale skin, Alan's fingers twitched as though they had been tickled. Ronald gasped, a little spark of hope dancing across his tired green eyes,

"A-Alan?" he breathed, hardly daring to speak more than a whisper. He stroked Alan's hand with his thumb again, Alan twitched his fingers a second time and grasped Ronald's hand. He began to turn his head a little from side to side, mouthing at the breathing tube that was in there. His other hand began to twitch as well, trying to lift up to grab the tube in his mouth. Ronald grew even more excited, smiling brightly as a few tears managed to escape his eyes. He moved closer, stroking Alan's hair gently to soothe him,

"Sssh, it's alright Allie, Ronnie's here~" he squeezed Alan's hand "You're in hospital, hold on I'll get the nurses"

Ronald pressed the call buzzer, still smiling as the nurses entered the room. They fussed around Alan, examining him as he gradually grew more alert and agitated. The sedation being pumped through his drip was slowly turned down, the tube in his mouth was carefully removed as he began breathing for himself. A tense few minutes ticked by in silence as Ronald and the nurses watched the brunet, his eyelids began to flicker, finally they opened and blinked sleepily at the ceiling in confusion. Ronald approached the bed slowly, hovering over Alan and smiling as their eyes met,

"Hey there sleepy" he said, stroking Alan's cheek. Alan reached for Ronald shakily, clinging to the only familiar thing he could find,

"W-Where…" he voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. He coughed after just one word, his throat sore from lack of use. Ronald frowned at Alan's coughs, rubbing the brunet's chest to try and soothe him,

"You don't have to talk yet, don't hurt yourself Allie~" he said "You're in hospital, you had an attack…." Alan frowned, not liking the sudden low tone of Ronald's voice

"H-How bad….." he whispered. Ronald looked down at the bed sheets, squeezing Alan's hand tighter,

"Really bad…..you've been out for nearly two months" he said, softly "The doctors thought…..they thought you wouldn't make it…." Alan's eyes widened, he felt his heart skip a little as he began to shake. Had he really been that close to…..Alan gave a little whimper, wanting to curl up on the bed but unable to. Ronald tried his best to reassure him, resting his head close to Alan's, their noses almost touching like lovers sharing a bed,

"I know it's scary Allie, but you're okay now, you woke up~" he smiled, playing with Alan's hair "Hmm, I should call William and tell him the news, Grell has been worried sick about you, William had to carry him out of the hospital because he wanted to stay here and look after you with me" Alan blinked, feeling his cheeks heat up a little in embarrassment. Ronald chuckled, he nuzzled Alan and took out his phone, calling William's number. Alan rested his head on Ronald's chest, starting to grow sleepy. He yawned, Ronald laughed as he chatted to William. Alan looked up at him, so William and Grell had been here too. Alan smiled, his cheeks heating up again. He felt very touched to know his friends cared for him so much. He chuckled to himself softly, pausing as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. Someone was missing. There was a name Ronald had neglected to mention, either deliberately or accidentally Alan wasn't sure, but it was definitely missing. Alan frowned hard, trying to think who Ronald hadn't mentioned. Ronald put his phone away as he finished his conversation,

"William and Grell are going to come and say hi, Grell's so happy you're awake" he smiled, his expression falling when he saw Alan's frown "What's wrong? Are you hurting?" Alan shook his head,

"Someone's….missing" he said, softly. He gasped suddenly, the name appearing in his head "Eric!" Ronald winced at the Scotsman's name. He turned away from Alan, biting his lip a little,

"I-I…..I haven't heard from him…." He said, his tone sounding very evasive "He may have visited briefly…..I dunno….." it was obvious he was trying to avoid the subject, Alan tried to glare, wanting the truth

"Ronald….."

"Alan! Darling!"

Grell's voice sounded through the open hospital door, the red reaper waddling after it slowly. William was by his side, holding his hand to support him. Alan's eyes widened, taken aback by the size of Grell's belly. Grell giggled, walking over to the brunet's bedside,

"Pretty big, aren't I darling?" he smiled "5 months today" Alan blinked, still staring at Grell's belly. It triggered something in his mind, there was something important he should remember. What was it? Grell's giggles brought him out of his stupor, Alan looked up at him curiously. Grell was practically beaming, he took Alan's hand and placed it gently on his belly,

"Here, feel this" he said softly. Alan frowned in confusion, gasping when he felt a tiny kick against his hand. He smiled, rubbing the spot gently,

"Well, hello baby" he continued to rub, trying to encourage the baby to kick again. He moved his free hand, placing it on his own belly without realizing. A deep frown appeared on his features, his hand left Grell's belly to feel his own. It was flat, his skin fragile from his illness. Alan grew panicked, his heart monitor starting to beep furiously. That wasn't right, he knew it wasn't. His belly should be like Grell's, a cry escaped his lips as his chest clenched. William, Grell and Ronald rushed to Alan's side, Ronald grabbed Alan's hand tightly,

"Allie! Calm down, you're alright!" he was almost pleading, his voice wavering. Alan looked up at Ronald, tears of pain and panic in his eyes,

"M-My…..baby….." he gasped, his chest clenching again. Ronald turned away, biting his lip hard. William looked down at his shoes, adjusting his glasses as he stood in awkward silence. Grell sighed heavily, reaching out and stroking Alan's cheek,

"Darling, I'm so sorry" he said, taking Alan's hand tight in his own "You stopped breathing during your attack…..the baby wasn't getting oxygen…..the doctors did what they could…." Alan screamed loudly, pushing away Ronald and Grell's hands. He clutched at his head, shaking,

"Y-You're wrong….." he screamed again, tears pouring down his cheeks,

"You're wrong!"

* * *

**Author's notes:** Okay, hands up who wants my blood now?


	13. Questioning

**One Night Only**

**Disclaimer:** Alan Humphries, Ronald Knox, Grell Sutcliff, William T Spears, Eric Slingby and Undertaker

Chapter 12:

It was past nightfall by the time anyone could calm Alan, the small reaper finally passing out into an uneasy sleep. Ronald had fallen asleep next to the brunet, clutching his pale hand close to his heart. The nurses had turned a blind eye to his presence on the bed, bringing him an extra pillow and blankets. Grell took one and unfolded it, gently placing it over Ronald and tucking him in. He shook his head slowly and tutted, almost like he was the blond's mother,

"I know you're scared, Ronnie, but you have to look after yourself too" he said "What's Alan going to do if you make yourself sick?"

He shook his head again, leaning down to kiss Ronald's forehead softly. Carefully, he brushed back a few strands of the blond's hair, smiling sadly. William placed his hand on Grell's shoulder, his other one coming round the red head's waist to rub his bump,

"Come on, it's time you two went home" his voice was soft, but firm "You need to rest"

Grell rested his head on William's shoulder, placing his hand on his belly as well. He took a long last glance at Ronald and Alan before turning and leaving the room, William right behind him. William turned and quietly closed the door, peering through the window briefly. He sighed and turned back, Grell was stood still in the hallway, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed into his coat sleeve. William watched as tears soaked into the red velvet, he rushed forward and pulled Grell into his arms, cuddling him close,

"Grell….."

"It's not fair!" Grell beat his fist against William, grabbing hold of his lapel tightly "Alan….he didn't deserve this…..he didn't deserve any of this….."

He buried his head in William's chest, sobbing loudly. William sighed and held Grell close, stroking his hair. Grell sniffled, staring blankly at the wall,

"It should be me in there…..me in that bed…." He whispered "I have so much sin dirtying my soul…..Alan's is so pure…everything he has I deserve more…."

William frowned at Grell's words, a harsh sting striking his heart. He gently tilted Grell's chin up with his finger, looking him tenderly in the eyes,

"Do not talk like that" he said, softly "Alan does not deserve his misfortunes, but neither do you"

He lowered his head, gently placing a sweet kiss on Grell's lips. He took the red head's hand, placing over his heart,

"You are not the only reaper whose soul is tainted by sin" he whispered "You've had a long day, my sweet, you are tired and hungry and not thinking clearly, let us go home, please?"

Grell sniffled and nodded, letting William go and taking his hand. He started walking down the hallway to the hospital main entrance, gently he rested his head on William's shoulder,

"I'm sure I don't deserve you, love"

* * *

The clock ticked obnoxiously loud, Eric glared at where it hung on the relatives' room wall, almost darling it to make another tick. Like Ronald, he had not left the hospital since Alan had been admitted, choosing to camp out in the family room and test the patience of the nursing staff. At first, Eric had tried to get into Alan's room, desperate to stay by the smaller reaper's side. He and Ronald had almost starting fighting, the nurses had managed to break them up at the last minute by threatening to throw them both out. Eric grumbled to himself, pacing up and down the faded brown carpet. He'd been waiting for Ronald to leave Alan's room, so he could sneak in and see him, but so far the younger blond hadn't left. Eric was started to get worried for Ronald, despite his best efforts to forget all about him. He knew the blond couldn't be eating properly, not that Eric was doing that himself. He was existing purely on the sandwiches at the hospital café, he was sure he had tried every type of sandwich they had by now, and to his dismay found out they all tasted the same. Eric gave another grumble and stopped his pacing, leaning on the wall by the door. A flash of red caught his eye, Eric looked out just as Grell walked by. He saw the tears in the red head's eyes, his hand gripped the door handle, ready to go out,

"I wouldn't if I were you, the others are still after your blood, I hear"

Eric jumped at the sudden deep voice, he turned around and saw Undertaker leaning against the back wall. He frowned in confusion, looking between the legendary reaper and the door,

"How did…" he stammered, Undertaker grinned and stood up straight,

"One of my many tricks, hehehe" he tapped his nose with one long finger nail "I have a great many of them up my long and dusty sleeves" he walked over to Eric, backing him into the worn sofa. Eric grunted as he was forced to sit down, he blinked and looked up at Undertaker,

"Why….why are y'here?"

"News of poor Alan's condition reached my shop, I thought it only right to see how the poor dear was doing" Undertaker looked down at Eric, one of his eyes glinting from beneath his fringe "How on earth did he get in such condition, I wonder?"

Eric looked down at his lap guiltily, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, his whole body tensing. He stood up suddenly, pushing past Undertaker and glaring at the wall,

"I swear I dinnae mean it" he said, he clenched the other fist, squeezing his eyes closed "I would never…."

"That's what they all say, hehe" Undertaker crossed the room in three strides, his boots making barely a sound on the carpet. He stopped behind Eric, his hands reaching out and grabbing him by the chin before the Scotsman had time to react "You should have heeded my words, boy"

Eric struggled in Undertaker's grip, one of the mortician's long nails scratching his cheek as he pulled away. He looked up at the older reaper, panting as blood ran down his skin. Undertaker gave him a very long smile, a few of his teeth showing,

"Poor boy has lost his treasure" he cackled "He should have looked after it better!"

Undertaker's cackling grew louder, echoing around the room. Eric growled, his fists clenching once more. He turned on his heel and roared angrily, running at Undertaker to punch him. Undertaker stopped laughing, standing and grinning at Eric. He turned at the last minute, his robes swishing around him as he disappeared out of the door. Eric's eyes widened, he tried to stop and tripped, landing face first on the carpet. He stayed still for a few moments, glaring at the cheap pile underneath him,

"Fuckin' know it all…." He grumbled. With a sigh he heaved himself up, flopping down heavily on the sofa. He placed his head in his hands, closing his eyes

"What am I gonna do?" he muttered "I ruined everything…" tears slipped from his closed eyes, splashing on his knees. Eric wiped his face with the back on his hand, he reached for the blanket that had been spread on the sofa, lacking motivation to do anything but sleep. Something crackled beneath his fingers, Eric frowned and looked down at his hand. A piece of paper was caught underneath it, Eric picked it up and looked at it. It was a copy Grell's most recent scan, Eric blinked in confusion,

"How did this get in 'ere?"

Eric studied the image carefully, he knew Grell had been for another scan, but he hadn't seen the images from it. The baby had grown a lot from Grell's first scan, Eric could see the baby's head and its body, even a few tiny fingers and toes. He smiled, touching it gently,

"Little cutie" he said "Getting' big aren't y'?" he continued to stroke the image, resting his finger on the baby's tiny hand,

"Daddy's comin' fer 'is treasure, dun' worry"

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** In which Grell gets depressed and Undertaker acts as Eric's conscious

And if you're wondering how the scan got there, Undertaker did it


	14. End of the Line?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *as Mushu* I LIVE!!
> 
> Random burst of inspiration, hopefully it will last.
> 
> I own Richard Slingby, he's Eric's father

**One Night Only  
  
Disclaimer:** William T Spears, Ronald Knox, Grell Sutcliff and Alan Humphries belong to Yana Toboso. I own Richard Slingby  
  
 **Chapter 13:**  
  
The offices of the Shinigami Directors were not a comforting sight, the tall mahogany doors and polished gold name plates giving the hallway a very tense and heavy atmosphere. William walked stiffly down the dark corridor, his shoes silent on the deep carpet. This was not his first encounter with those doors and the directors, with each subsequent visit he hoped it would be his last, but sadly this never seemed to come to pass. The door at the very end of the hallway came into William's view, one he knew a little too well. It was the door to the Head Director's office, identical to every other office door yet somehow even more imposing. William stopped and read the name plate carefully,  
  
 _Mr Richard. J. Slingby. Shinigami Head Director and Chairman of the Board_  
  
William quickly fixed his tie and smoothed the lapels of his suit, merely delays to his inevitable meeting. Taking a deep breath, he raised one hand and knocked politely on the door with his knuckles,  
  
"Enter"  
  
The voice was gruff, the man's Scottish accent more prominent than Eric's. William shuddered involuntarily, carefully opening the door and walking in. Richard Slingby was sat at his desk, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The man's appearance was as imposing as hs title; a brawny Scotsman with scruffy blond curls and thick stubble. Green eyes flashed behind his blue tinted glasses, clearly he was not a patient man. William finally stopped at the desk, bowing in respect,  
  
"Thank you, Mr Slingby" he said, his eyes to the carpet "William T Spears, you requested a meeting, sir"  
  
Richard grunted, sighing and taking a long drag on his cigarette. He balanced on his ash tray, the end still smoldering a little,  
  
"Sit down, Spears"   
  
William sat on the nearby chair obediently, watching as Richard sorted through his files. He carefully held his tongue, a suggestion against the Head Director's filing system would be more than his job's worth. Richard finally pulled out a hefty file, dropping it on the desk with a thud. He flipped through the numerous pages, stopping when he found the most recent reports,  
  
"Yer reports are concernin' me" Richard looked at William over the top of his glasses, his expression harsh "Yer two officers down, an' th'ones yer do 'ave seem to be slackin', what d'y'ave t'say?"  
  
William cleared his throat, trying not to make it sound as nervous as he felt. He opened up the folder he had brought with him, taking out several of his own reports he had prepared prior,  
  
"Although our Dispatch is short, sir, I feel we are managing well despite recent circumstances" he placed some papers on the desk "Ronald Knox is proving his resourcefulness, because of him Alan Humphries will be back to work sooner than expected" William pushed up his glasses "Grell Sutcliff is a slightly different situation, but I cannot forsee any reason he won't be returning as soon as he is able following his delivery"   
  
Richard briefly scanned the papers William had presented him with, moving them away with disinterest. He picked up his cigarette and placed it between his lips, taking a quick drag and puffing the smoke out,  
  
"Yer quick with y'excuses" he said "But y'officers and current work plan are not sustainable" another puff of smoke rose from his lips "I need ta see some improvement Spears, y'already treading a delicate line here"  
  
William nodded quickly, taking the papers back and putting them away. He looked up at Richard,  
  
"I understand Sir, I assure you I will bring my team back to the proper standards"  
  
Richard sighed angrily, he'd heard the same words from William many times before. He stubbed out his cigarette and pulled a fresh one from his suit pocket,  
  
"Y'say th'same thing t'me time an' time again, y'a broken record Spears" he said gruffly "I'm gettin' tired of it, I need a manager who gets results"  
  
Willaim stiffened, Richard's words stinging him harshly. He tried not to shake, trying to keep his gaze on his senior steady,  
  
"Yes sir"  
  
Richard ran his fingers through his curls, tapping his cigarette on his desk,  
  
"I think you an' I should 'ave a performance meetin', make sure y'can handle y'role" he said "Y'got a month t'prove me wrong Spears"  
  
William's eyes widened as he added up the dates in his head, he quickly pushed up his glasses and tried keep his composure,  
  
"With all due respect Sir, one month is quite impossible, after all Grell is-" A loud slam cut off his words,  
  
"Spears!" Richard's eyes blazed angrily "Did I stutter t'yer? One month, am I clear??"  
  
William flinched at his senior's yelling, he nodded and looked down at his lap,  
  
"Yes sir, perfectly sir"  
  
Richard sighed and placed the cigarette between his teeth, fumbling for his lighter  
  
"Good, get out"  
  
William grabbed his folder and stood up hastily, bowing politely before hurrying to the door. As soon as he was back in the safety of the hallway, he sighed deeply and leaned against the wall, sliding down to the carpet. Richard had threatened his job before, but this time it seemed serious. William couldn't afford to lose his job, not with the baby only a couple months away from being born, and the wedding to pay for. He ran a hand through his hair, what was he going to tell Grell? He couldn't put that much stress on the red head, but he couldn't lie to him either. Another heavy sigh left his lips, William closed his eyes to try and aid his thinking. The sounds of the hallway seemed suddenly amplified. He could hear, the window rattling above him, murmured voices from the offices......footsteps? William opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. Footsteps were echoing from the other end of the corridor, growing closer to him. They were hurried, panicky. William quickly stood up, growing concerned. Ronald appeared, panting heavily as he ran down the carpet,  
  
"William!" he shouted "William, it's Grell!"  
  
William's eyes widened, he rushed forward and grabbed the blond,  
  
"What about Grell??" he demanded "Is he hurt??"  
  
Ronald took a few deep breaths, grabbing William's hands. He looked up, fear in his eyes,  
  
"He's gone into labour"


End file.
